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CHECK OUT RUSS COHEN’S NHLDRAFTBUZZ.COM FOR INFO ON PROSPECTS AND NEWS IN THE HOCKEY WORLD
The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has drafted and developed a number of youngsters currently playing in the NHL (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander), but the focus of prospect development under former GM Kyle Dubas and the last few seasons under Director of Amateur Scouting Wes Clark seemed to be on skill players, while GM Brad Treliving has begun to transition with a focus on young players with size.
As we did last year, we will rank the club’s top prospects over the upcoming weeks based on their progress in either the NCAA, CHL, Europe, ECHL or AHL and their potential to make the Leafs roster and contribute in the future.
Youngsters like Bobby McMann, Joseph Woll, Nick Robertson, Pontus Holmberg, and top-rated Matthew Knies have graduated, but here is a list of players eligible for the list who have not played more than 40 NHL games and are 25 years old or younger:
#40 - Wyatt Schingoethe – C (Western Michigan – NCAA)
#39 - Zach Solow - RW (Toronto - AHL)
#38 - Semyon Kizimov - RW -(Yekaterinberg - KHL)
#37 - Robert Mastrosimone – LW. (Toronto – AHL)
#36 - Marko Sikic – RW (Sarnia – OHL, Newfoundland/Norfolk – ECHL)
#35 – Jacob Bengtsson – D (Boston College – NCAA)
#34 – Nicolas Mattinen – D (Straubling – Germany-DEL)
#33 – Matthew Barbolini – F (Miami(OH) – NCAA, Toronto – AHL)
#32 – Nathan Mayes – D (Spokane – WHL)
#31 – Braeden Kressler – C (Flint/Ottawa – OHL
#30 – Jacob Frasca – C (Barrie/ Sault Ste. Marie.- OHL)
#29 – Chas Sharpe – D (Mississauga – OHL, Toronto – AHL)
#28 – Hudson Malinoski – C (Providence – NCAA)
#27 – John Fusco – D (Dartmouth – NCAA
#26 – Semyon Der-Argushintsev (Chelyabinsk Traktor – KHL)
#25 – Ty Voit – RW – (Newfoundland, ECHL, Toronto – AHL
#24 – Mikko Kokkonen – D – (Toronto – AHL)
#23 – Matt Lahey – D – (Nanaimo – BCHL)
#22 – Sam McCue – LW (Peterborough/Owen Sound – OHL)
#21 – Victor Johansson – D (Leksands Jr. – Sweden)
#20 - Alexander Plesovskikh - LW (Yugra - VHL)
#19 - Miroslav Holinka – C (Trinec Ocelari HC U20 – Czechia)
#18 – Roni Hirvonen – C (Toronto – AHL)
#17 – Timofei Obvintsev – G (CSKA Red Army Jr. – MHL)
#16 – Vyacheslav Peksa – G (Newfoundland – ECHL)
#15 – Cade Webber – D (Boston University – NCAA)
#14 – Ryan Tverberg – C (Toronto – AHL)
#13 – William Villeneuve – D (Toronto – AHL)
#12 – Alex Steeves – C(Toronto – AHL / Toronto – NHL)
#11 – Joe Miller – C (Harvard – NCAA)
#10 – Nick Moldenhauer – C (Michigan – NCAA)
#9 – Nick Abruzzese – C (Toronto – AHL)
#8 – Ben Danford – D (Oshawa – OHL)
#7 – Artur Akhtyamov – G (Neftyanik Almetievsk – VHL / Ak Bars Kazan – KHL)
#6 – Noah Chadwick – D (Lethbridge – WHL / Toronto – AHL)
#5 – Dennis Hildeby – G (Toronto – AHL)
#4 – Nikita Grebenkin – W (Metallurg Magnitogorsk – KHL)
#3 – Topi Niemela – D (Toronto – AHL)
#2 – Fraser Minten - C (Kamloops/Saskatoon – WHL, Toronto – NHL)
The Maple Leafs once again used trading down at the NHL Draft as a strategic maneuver to solve a troublesome issue. Former GM Kyle Dubas swapped the 25th overall pick at the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal to clear the albatross contract of goalie Petr Mrazek to Chicago, and in the exchange acquired the Hawks second-round pick. At #37 overall, Toronto selected Kamloops Blazers center Fraser Minten.
The Vancouver native impressed early on with the WHL club, averaging nearly a point-per-game in the COVID-abbreviated 2020-21 season, scoring 55 points (20 goals, 35 assists) in 67 games, and 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists) in 17 playoff games in his first full season. Minten got a late start in junior after being injured at Leafs training camp but recovered nicely and improved his offensive totals (31 goals, 36 assists in 57 games) and played in the Memorial Cup with the host Blazers.
Last season, after impressing the Leafs with his mature play at training camp, the club rewarded Minten with a four-game stint at the start of the season, but he was returned to the WHL and played only seven games for Kamloops before being traded to another Memorial Cup contender, the Saskatoon Blades, where he averaged over a point-per-game (19 goals, 19 assists in 36 games) and scored eight goals in 16 playoff games. He was also named team captain for Team Canada’s squad at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championships.
The 20-year-old is an extremely intelligent young player, and those smarts are reflected in his two-way game on the ice. His offensive game continues to mature, and at 6’2”, 192 lb, the Vancouver native could end up being a shutdown center down the line. Minten began with an impressive performance at the Prospect Tournament but suffered a high-ankle sprain and missed all of training camp.
#Leafs prospect Fraser Minten was slow to get up after this hit in the corner.
He wasn't in his usual spot with Easton Cowan on the PK at the end of the period. pic.twitter.com/lkDUE7nXGB
It is expected that once Minten returns, he will have a prominent role with the AHL Toronto Marlies, but that does not rule out the youngster playing in the NHL at some point this season.
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The Leafs will finish up their three games in four nights to start the season with their home opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night.
Veteran center John Tavares was not on the ice for the morning skate on Saturday and the club indicated that it was due to an illness. His absence resulted in a scramble of the second and third lines, with Pontus Holmberg centering William Nylander and Bobby McMann, and Max Domi centering Max Pacioretty and Nick Robertson.
Anthony Stolarz is expected to get the start for Toronto, while Pittsburgh will go with rookie Joel Blomqvist. Head coach Craig Berube provided an update on goalie Joseph Woll, who was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday with back tightness. Berube said that Woll has not been on ice since practice on Tuesday and that there is no timeline for his return.
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