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The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has drafted and developed a number of youngsters currently playing in the NHL like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Pierre Engvall, Travis Dermott and Justin Holl, but the next step for the club under GM Kyle Dubas is to keep replenishing the prospect pool to provide the Leafs with youngsters who can step up and replace veterans who retire, depart via free agency or are traded. As we did last year, we will rank the club’s top prospects over the next few weeks based on their progress in either the NCAA, CHL, Europe, ECHL or AHL and their potential to make the Leafs roster and make a contribution in the future. Players are eligible for the list if they have not played more than 40 NHL games: #40 – J.D. Greenway – D (Maine – NCAA) #39 – Eemeli Rasanen – D (HPK – Finland SM-Liiga) #38 – Jeremy McKenna – RW (Moncton – QMJHL) #37 – Ryan O’Connell – D (Ohio State – NCAA) #36 – Veeti Miettinen – RW (St. Cloud St. – NCAA) #35 - Semyon Kizimov – RW (Lada Togliatti – VHL / Torpedo – KHL) #34 - Kalle Loponen – D (Karpat – Finland SM-Liiga) #33 - Vladislav Kara – LW (Cherepovets Severstal – KHL) #32 - John Fusco – D (Harvard – NCAA) #31 - Wyatt Schingoethe – C (Waterloo – USHL) #30 - William Villeneuve – D (Saint John – QMJHL) #29 - Joe Miller – C (Chicago – USHL) #28 - Axel Rindell – D (Jukurit – Finland SM-Liiga) #27 - Kristians Rubins - D (Toronto - AHL / Frederikshavn - Denmark) #26 - Justin Brazeau - RW (Newfoundland - ECHL / Toronto - AHL) #25 – Dmitry Ovchinnikov – F (Sibir Novosibirsk – MHL/KHL) #24 – Artur Akhtyamov – G (Ak Bars Kazan – MHL/VHL/KHL) #23 – Noel Hoefenmayer – D (Ottawa – OHL / Wichita ECHL) #22 – Roni Hirvonen – C (Assat Pori – Finland SM-Liiga) #21 – Teemu Kivihalme - D (Toronto - AHL) #20 – Pontus Holmberg – LW (Vaxjo HC – SHL #19 – Filip Kral - D (HC Prerov / Kometa Brno - Czech)
#18 – Ian Scott – G (Toronto - AHL)
Scott was considered a long-range goalie prospect with some promise when the Leafs selected the lanky Calgary native in 2017, but after a great year in 2019, the 21-year-old faces some uncertainty after missing last season with a hip injury. Selected in the fourth round (110th overall), the 6’3…, 183 lb. netminder played 50 games for consecutive years with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders in 2017 and 2018, and made his professional debut for the Toronto Marlies at the end of the ’18 season. Scott remained with the club through their run to the Calder Cup, participating in practices and working often with Leafs goaltending coach Steve Briere. “(Steve is) really knowledgeable, he’s been around the league for a long time and he’s played pro hockey himself.… Scott said at last year’s Rookie Development Camp. “He’s always open to questions and it’s a pretty open door, so whenever you don’t understand something or he wants you to try something, you just gotta roll with it and he’ll never point you in the wrong direction.…
Ian Scott (@PARaidersHockey & @MapleLeafs) flashing leather for his best save of the evening! 😱#WorldJuniors 🇨🇦 #REPRESENT pic.twitter.com/OIw9saaZqD
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 28, 2018
The extra work paid off for Scott, as he went 38-8-2 for the Raiders, with a microscopic 1.83 GAA and .932 save percentage, won CHL and WHL goaltender of the year, WHL First-Team All-Star and Playoff MVP and made Team Canada as Michael DiPietro’s backup at the 2019 World Junior. It was expected that Scott and 2016 third rounder Joseph Woll would fight for playing time in the minors last season, but a hip issue developed during training camp and required Scott to have season-ending surgery in December.
The Newfoundland Growlers opting out of the 2020-21 season, the questionable status of the American Hockey League and the signings of Aaron Dell and Michael Hutchinson are all factors to whether the 21-year-old will play anywhere this season. Scott did not find a temporary home in Europe during the offseason, so it is possible that the next time he hits the ice in a competitive setting is in training camp next September.
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The Leafs placed minor league forward Kalle Kossila on waivers on Monday. The 27-year-old center played 19 NHL games with Anaheim over three seasons and was signed to a two-year, $1.4 million two-way contract by Toronto in July 2019.
Kossila played just 12 games for the Toronto Marlies last season and played two games for Munich in the German League this season. With the AHL season in limbo, it is unknown whether his services will be required.
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