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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)
The Toronto Maple Leafs went heavy on European prospects in 2020, which was likely a tactic implemented because of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a longer development window. Former GM Kyle Dubas moved down in the 2020 NHL Draft to get extra picks, trading a mid-second rounder (Tyler Kleven) to Ottawa for a late second (Roni Hirvonen) and a third-round pick which the Leafs used to select Finnish defenseman Topi Niemela.
Niemela played 58 games over two seasons in the SM-Liiga with Karpat as a 17 and 18-year-old and tallied 11 points (1 goal, 10 assists), but had a coming-out party at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championships, leading all defensemen in scoring with eight points (2 goals, 6 assists) in seven games and earning the prize for the tournament’s top blueliner.
The 22-year-old broke out offensively, finishing sixth in Liiga among defensemen with 32 points (10 goals, 22 points) and six assists in seven games at the 2022 WJC, and in May 2022 signed an entry-level deal with the Leafs. In his fourth year with Karpat, due to a coaching change, the young blueliner lost power play time and his scoring numbers dropped to 18 points (8 goals, 10 assists) in 58 games, but once he came to North America, his scoring prowess returned.
Niemela had two points (1 goal, 1 assist) in six games at the end of the AHL season with the Marlies, and five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in seven playoff games.
“He's a really good defender, really quick to close gaps, take away time and space.” Leafs former Director of Amateur Scouting John Lilley said. “(Niemela is) a first pass guy, not necessarily going to run your power play. Good instincts....not the biggest guy, so not overly physical at this time since he's playing against men, (but) one of the best defensive instincts in the entire draft.”
In his first full season with the Marlies, Niemela showed excellent speed and passing ability, leading the club in defensive scoring (39 points – 8 goals, 31 assists in 68 games) and was particularly effective as a power-play quarterback, with 13 assists during the man advantage. The Leafs loaded up with veteran right-handed shooters in Chris Tanev, Jani Hakanpaa, and Philippe Myers this summer. Tanev will be playing a top pairing role, but both Hakanpaa and Myers along with Timothy Liljegren and Conor Timmins will be clogging up the bottom pairing RD for the upcoming season.
That will allow Niemela another year to gain more experience in the AHL and could have him positioned to challenge for a spot on the right side next season.
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