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 / Toronto – AHL/NHL)
#8 – Mikko Kokkonen – D (Jukurit – Finland SM-Liiga)
#7 – Filip Hallander – C (Lulea – SHL)
While getting back a first round pick was the most important aspect of the trade that sent Kasperi Kapanen back to Pittsburgh, the Toronto Maple Leafs also added a significant prospect in Swedish forward Filip Hallander.
The 6’1”, 196 lb. forward was selected 58th overall by the Penguins in the 2018 NHL Draft and is known for his versatility to play both wing and center, his two-way abilities and skating with a great first step.
The Hockey Prospect Black Book in his draft year said that Hallander is “a smart player in all three zones who does everything well. You can put him at center and have him drive a line since his motor and aggressiveness help compliment other skilled forwards; you can also put him on the wing where he can create technical give-and-go plays with a skilled playmaker.
On the power play, he’s capable of playing down near the goal-line and along the half-wall where he showed quick one-touch passes and no-look passes that resulted in some impressive primary assists. His willingness to play a 200-foot game makes him useful all over the ice.”
Kyle Dubas indicated that Hallander was a target his first draft as Leafs GM in Dallas, but he was selected six picks after Toronto took Sean Durzi in the second round. After playing for Sweden in the 2019 World Junior, a broken leg prevented a return to the WJC in 2020 and shortened his SHL season to 27 games, but this season Hallander has a career-high 10 goals with Lulea and may be in the mix to battle for a depth role on the Leafs or a more prominent role with the Marlies next season.
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The Maple Leafs will attempt to extend their winning streak to four as they take on the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Arena on Monday. Toronto is coming off a 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, but that win took it’s toll on the Leafs, as Zach Hyman, Jake Muzzin and Joe Thornton were all injured in the contest.
Today marks the one year anniversary of my last #Leafs game at SBA and last time I was across the border. At least I can say it was a memorable game. pic.twitter.com/vyUJDnbZYO
Hyman missed one game with a bruised foot after blocking a shot vs. Ottawa on Wednesday and was hit on the same skate against the Habs. Muzzin left for the Toronto dressing room late in the third period after Tyler Toffoli’s goal and Thornton played 14:14 and had an assist on Saturday,
Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that Hyman and Thornton are day-to-day and that Muzzin has a broken facial bone and his return date is undetermined, but when he does return it will be with a full face shield, Mikko Lehtonen will step in on bottom pairing with Zach Bogosian and Travis Dermott will move into the top four to play with Justin Holl. Nic Petan and Alexander Barabanov will replace Hyman and Thornton, but line assignments have not been determined.
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