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The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to be hit hard by the recent Omicron variant, as the club announced on Friday that winger William Nylander has entered the NHL’s COVID protocol.
Nylander makes 13 Leafs players on the list, with Alex Kerfoot, John Tavares, Jason Spezza, Wayne Simmonds, Jack Campbell, T.J. Brodie, and Travis Dermott diagnosed in Vancouver last weekend, David Kà¤mpf, Ilya Mikheyev, Petr Mrà¡zek, and Rasmus Sandin earlier this week and Morgan Rielly on Thursday.
Toronto players will be able to return to the Ford Performance Centre on Sunday if they test negative, but with more than 50% of their active roster currently on the COVID list, the return to action on Monday in Columbus and possibly their contest against Pittsburgh on Wednesday may be in jeopardy.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have a number of prospects spread out over North America and Europe that could be in Blue and White at some point. With the club on hiatus until next week, here is a look at what these players are doing currently:
2018 Draft
Semyon Der-Argushintsev – The 21-year-old has shown some offensive potential in his first full AHL season, with 13 points (4 goals, 9 assists) in 21 games with the Marlies, but his club-worst -11 plus/minus rating is a sure sign that SDA has to work on the defensive side of the game to become a viable option for an NHL callup.
Mac Hollowell – Hollowell was a fourth-round pick of the Leafs in 2018 and put up big numbers with the Soo Greyhounds the following year, but has been a victim of the lost opportunity to play because of COVID shutdowns.
The 23-year-old has played just eight games this season and has fallen behind Joseph Duszak, Carl Dahlstrom, Alex Biega, Filip Kral and Kristians Rubins on the Marlies depth chart.
Filip Kral – The 22-year-old Czech played 10 AHL games in an abbreviated 2020-21 season and is getting regular work this season with the Marlies, with four assists in 19 games.
Based on the patient approach the Leafs took with 2017 top pick Timothy Liljegren, Kral could get an NHL opportunity, but it could be another season or two before that happens.
Pontus Holmberg – Drafted at the top of the sixth round in 2018, Holmberg signed a two-year entry-level deal with Toronto after winning an SHL title with Vaxjo last season. The 22-year-old winger is averaging nearly a point-per-game (24 points in 27 games), eclipsing his career-high point total in half the games.
Semyon Kizimov – selected late in the seventh round, Kizimov has spent all but four games in the Russian second division (VHL). After three years with Lada Togliatti, the 21-year-old winger is enjoying his best offensive output with Gornyak, with 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in 35 games.
#LeafsForever prospect Semyon Kizimov won the game in the shootout for Gornyak this morning in #VHL action
— Josh Simpson (@joshsimpson77) October 2, 2021
Here’s a clip of his shootout goal: pic.twitter.com/dLqbrpU3U9
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Lot’s of â¤ï¸ for the 💙ðŸ¤
— Norman James (@IamNormanJames) April 26, 2021
Convo on Podcast.#theleafsconvo https://t.co/Xdn3CDLVCI
Latest @OffThePostRadio Podcast, powered by @FullPressNHL!@AnthonyMingioni, @MikeInBuffalo , & @sportsology are back in the comfort of their homes discussing Paul Maurice #GoJetsGo exit, NHL dealing with Covid + #BringItToBroad, #LeafsForever, & #NYR.https://t.co/bDGGwI9KSQ pic.twitter.com/JksxvDRpJZ
— 🎙🏒Off The Post Radio 🥅 🚨 (@OffThePostRadio) December 18, 2021
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