Be sure to like HockeyBuzz on facebook! For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter
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)
Kivihalme was born in Minnesota while his father played Division III NCAA hockey, played high school hockey in the States and in the USHL before being drafted in the fifth-round pick (140th overall) by the Nashville Predators in 2013.
The 25-year-old Finn played three seasons at Colorado College, but was not signed by the Predators and headed to the Finnish SM-Liiga. In two seasons with Karpat, the 6’0…, 180 lb. blueliner won a league championship as a rookie and scored 30 points (9 goals and 21 assists) and nine points (4 goals, 5 assists) in 16 playoff games last season.
In his rookie campaign, Kivihalme scored 18 points (4 goals, 14 assists) in 55 games with the AHL Marlies and showed enough promise and potential for growth that the Leafs re-signed him to a two-year, $1.45 million two-way deal in July.
*******
With the NHL on track to start training camps just after New Year’s, teams are looking to fill out their rosters with players on short-term contracts or professional tryouts. After not being qualified by Toronto in October, former Leafs first round pick Frederik Gauthier became an unrestricted free agent, but it took until this week for a club to show any interest.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Monday that the Arizona Coyotes expressed interest in the 25-year-old center and that Gauthier is weighing his options.
Gauthier had 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 168 games with the Leafs over five seasons and won a Calder Cup with the Toronto Marlies in 2018.
*******
*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page.*******