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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) #17 - Joseph Duszak - D (Newfoundland - ECHL / Toronto - AHL) #16 – Mac Hollowell - D (Newfoundland – ECHL / Toronto – AHL / TuTo Turku – Finland Mestis) #15 -Topi Niemela – D (Karpat – Finland SM-Liiga) #14 – Semyon Der-Argushintsev (Center, Peterborough Petes – OHL / Torpedo - KHL) #13 – Adam Brooks – C (Toronto – AHL/NHL) #12 – Mikhail Abramov – C (Victoriaville – QMJHL) #11 – Joseph Woll – G (Toronto – AHL) #10 – Alexander Barabanov – F (SKA St. Petersburg – KHL) #9 – Egor Korshkov - RW (Lokomotiv - KHL - Traded to Carolina) #8 – Mikko Kokkonen – D (Jukurit – Finland SM-Liiga) #7 – Filip Hallander – C (Lulea – SHL) #6 - Timothy Liljegren – D (Toronto – AHL/NHL) #5 – Mikko Lehtonen – D (Toronto – NHL, traded to Columbus
#4 - Nick Abruzzese - C (Harvard - NCAA)
The Toronto Maple Leafs have not shied away from going the overage route under the draft model of GM Kyle Dubas. One example of that is forward Nick Abruzzese.
The Slate Hill, NY native was a late bloomer that joined the USHL’s Chicago Steel in 2017 before finding his game as a 19-year-old and leading the league with 80 points (29 goals, 51 assists) last season. Toronto selected Abruzzese in the fourth round (124th overall) in the 2019 Draft as a 20-year-old as a developmental project heading to Harvard University.
Abruzzese scored 44 points (14 goals, 30 assists) with the Crimson, leading all NCAA freshmen in scoring and averaging 1.42 points per game (the second highest in Division I college hockey) in 2019-20, earning Ivy League Rookie of the Year and ECAC First Team honors.
Nick Abruzzese nets this one from the slot and would later add an assist in Harvard’s 5-3 win over St. Lawrence #NCAA pic.twitter.com/sT03QIz2ie
— Future Of The Six (@FutureOfTheSix) March 7, 2020
It appears that Abruzzese is focused on schoolwork and returning to full strength in time for next season at Harvard and not turning pro, which might have been an option with a 20-month gap in game action.
“(Next season) is a long way away, but we’re going to get through this, not just Harvard hockey, but everyone in the world that is going through this right now.… Abruzzese said last November to the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan . “It’s not easy for everyone. We understand there is light at the end of the tunnel and that brighter days are ahead, hopefully sooner rather than later, but there will be better days for sure.…
The 5’9…, 160 lb. center has “above average footwork and directional skating that allows him to play an up-tempo style and excels at making plays with the puck as he enters the offensive zone… according to HockeyProspect.com’s Mark Edwards.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs will be getting back into action against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Arena Friday night and head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that the club will have some new additions to the lineup.
Forward Alex Galchenyuk will make his Maple Leafs debut on the left side of the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander, and Wayne Simmonds will return after missing six weeks with a broken wrist. Simmonds will slot in on the fourth line with Pierre Engvall and Jason Spezza and may see some time on the first power play.
Keefe also indicated that Jack Campbell will backup Frederik Andersen in the first of back-to-back games against Calgary, the club that Campbell injured his leg against on January 24.
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— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) March 18, 2021
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