The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has drafted and developed a number of youngsters currently playing in the NHL, but with players like Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson and Travis Dermott on their roster, the next step for the club 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 summer, we will rank the club’s top 25 prospects over the next few weeks based on their progress in either the NCAA, CHL, Europe or the American Hockey League and their potential to make the Leafs roster and make a contribution in the future.
Players are not eligible for the list if they are 25 years old or over, or if they have played more than 30 NHL games:
Top 25 list
#25 – Eemeli Rasanen - Defense, Jokerit – KHL / Toronto Marlies – AHL
#24 – Pontus Holmberg – Left Wing, Vaxjo HC – SHL
#23 – Mikhail Abramov – Center, Victoriaville – QMJHL
#22 – Nick Abruzzese - Center, Chicago Steel – USHL
#21 – Teemu Kivihalme - Defense, Karpat – SM-Liiga
#20 – Riley Stotts - Center, Calgary – WHL
#19 – Filip Kral (Defense, Spokane Chiefs – WHL)
#18 – Mikko Kokkonen (Defense, Jukurit Mikkeli – SM Liiga)
#17 – Jesper Lindgren (Defense, HPK – SM Liiga / Toronto Marlies - AHL
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#16 – Joseph Duszak (Defense, Mercyhurst – NCAA / Toronto Marlies - AHL)
2018 Ranking – N/A
The Leafs have had some success finding talent that went undrafted and played in the NCAA, like the signing of winger Trevor Moore out of the University of Denver in 2016. After selecting four defensemen in the 2018 Draft and dealing one of them in the trade for Jake Muzzin, Toronto replenished their blueline pipeline with the signing of Joseph Duszak.
After a brief stint in the USHL, Duszak played three seasons with Mercyhurst University and led the club with 47 points (16 goals and 31 assists) last season, and was pursued by a number of NHL clubs before signing with the Leafs in mid-March. The 22-year-old signed a two-year entry-level contract and an AHL tryout contract and was inserted into the Toronto Marlies lineup after Calle Rosen was injured.
Slightly undersized at 5' 10", 185 lb, the Long Island native acquitted himself well in four playoff games, scoring a goal in the Marlies second round series against Cleveland.
Duszak is a good skater and decent defender, who can make long outlet passes and play the penalty kill and with Rosen, Andreas Borgman and Vincent Loverde gone and Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren vying for NHL jobs at training camp, the right-handed blueliner should get an opportunity at significant playing time in the AHL this season.
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