Youngsters have begun to have an impact on the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies, with 2016 top pick Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Kasperi Kapanen and others starting the 2016-17 season on the right foot.
Besides Matthews, the Leafs added 10 players in the 2016 NHL Draft , who join other players in the pipeline from previous drafts currently playing in North America or Europe.
Here is an update on Toronto prospects currently playing in the OHL, QMJHL, WHL, NCAA and Europe:
2016 Draft
The big Russian winger has equaled his career-high point total (12) in 20 games and is second in scoring for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv behind former Leaf Brandon Kozun.
Assistant GM Mark Hunter indicated at the NHL Draft in Buffalo that the 20-year-old Korshkov would play this season in the KHL and could come to North America as early as next season.
Selected with the second round pick obtained in the Daniel Winnik/Brooks Laich deal, Grundstrom struggled early in the SHL season (scoreless in his first nine games) but scored his first goal of the season and earned third star of the game in a 4-2 Frolunda victory over Orebro on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old winger is on Sweden’s roster for the upcoming
Four Nations Tournament next month and should be on Team Sweden for the upcoming IIHF World Junior in Toronto and Montreal.
The 18-year-old Missouri native has started all four games for Boston College and is 2-2, with 2.77 GAA and .914 save percentage. Woll made 40 saves in a 3-1 win over Denver U. on October 8th, but allowed five goals on 27 shots in an 8-5 win over Wisconsin on Sunday.
Like older brother Jordan, Greenway is a product of the US National Development Program. The 18-year-old blueliner has four points in four games with the University of Wisconsin and scored his first NCAA goal on fellow Leaf prospect Woll on Sunday.
Eligible to sign and play in the AHL as a 20-year-old, Brooks was sent back to Regina of the WHL for another season as an overager and scored two goals in his first game with the Pats and had a four point outing (1G, 3A) in a 7-2 victory over Lethbridge on Saturday.
Symbolic of the Leafs emphasis on size in the 2016 Draft, the 6’5”, 235 lb Middleton managed just seven points in 66 games with Saginaw last season and has just one assist in six games with the Spirit this season.
After a 28-goal campaign with the WHL’s Victoria Royals, Bobylev signed with Moscow Spartak of the KHL. The 19-year-old winger scored his first goal in a 3-0 win over Yekaterinburg on September 29th, but played only two shifts against Dynamo Riga on Monday.
A converted defenseman, the speedy Walker scored 36 goals for Victoria last season and was returned to the WHL Royals for an overage season. The 20-year-old scored all three goals for Victoria in a 3-2 victory over Vancouver on October 6 and has eight points in eight games.
A big defenseman with a large wingspan, Mattinen played only 39 games for the Memorial Cup winning London Knights and is expected to get more of an opportunity under Dale Hunter this season.
The blueliner has played six of the Knights eight games and is +2 with six penalty minutes this season.
Nikolai Chebykin
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Selected 182nd overall, the 6’3”, 209 lb winger is currently playing for Moscow Dynamo’s MHL affiliate HC MVD Balashikha. After scoring 13 goals in 39 games in the MHL last season, Chebykin has six goals in six games this season.
Part II of Prospect Watch on Wednesday
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The Leafs departed Toronto for their three-game Central Division road swing and will take on the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday and Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Frederik Andersen will get the start in goal against the Jets and Jhonas Enroth will see his first regular season action as a Leaf on Thursday in St. Paul.
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Listen to the latest episode of the Blue N’ White Tonight podcast with special guest Bryan Hayes of TSN 1050 Radio.
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