Diamond in the rough, Justin Bailey a bright spot for Kitchener

                                Photo by David Sherman

Story seen on alongtheboards.com

When people look at the Buffalo’s Sabres plethora of prospects, Justin Bailey may not be at the top of the list, but he should be. As one of the assistant captain for the Kitchener Rangers, he was their second leading scorer last year and is their leader scorer this year through 12 games. 

In the 2013-14 season, Bailey compiled 25 goals, 18 assists for 43 points on a Kitchener team that saw them finish with only 22 wins and 46 losses, five of them coming in either overtime or shootouts. So far this year, Bailey has nine goals and seven assists for 16 points. The best part about his nine goals is that many of them have been highlight reel worthy. The 6’3, 202 pound power forward has added much more offensive skill to his game and it is showing.

The 2013 second round, 52^nd overall pick will soon become a fan favorite in Buffalo being a local guy, hailing from Williamsville, New York, a suburb of Buffalo. Bailey was one of Buffalo’s five draft picks in the first two round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Also drafted in the second round for Buffalo was J.T. Compher at 35^th and Connor Hurley at 38^th. 

When first drafted, many scouts felt Bailey was a very raw prospect, saying his skating needed work. After lots of work over this past summer, Bailey’s stock has risen greatly. According to Kris Baker of sabresprospects.com, Bailey boasts a good set of hands down low, a heavy, accurate shot, becoming more aggressive and his improved skating. Now in his third season in the Ontario Hockey League, Bailey’s game has improved drastically. According to former Sabre Matthew Barnaby, Bailey’s most praised attributes are his “already NHL shot” and that he is very coachable.

Before playing for the Kitchener Rangers, Bailey committed to Michigan State for hockey but decided to play for Kitchener who selected him in the seventh round of the OHL Priority Selection Draft. 

This season will likely be Bailey’s last in the OHL. He turns 20 in July and will join Buffalo’s AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. There should be room for him on the top three lines if all goes well in the progression of Buffalo draft picks Mikhail Grigorenko, Joel Armia and Johan Larrson, who will all likely get a crack with the Sabres. 

Look for Bailey to help carry Kitchener this year, who are off to a decent start at seven wins and six losses. 

Patrick Kaleta may have to make room for a new homegrown fan favorite, as Justin Bailey looks to make a name for himself. Being the second highest player drafted from Buffalo behind Patrick Kane, Bailey may have some added pressure, but nobody should be worried, Bailey will likely be a very good NHL player for years to come.