The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has drafted and developed a number of youngsters currently playing in the NHL, but with players like Connor Brown, Zach Hyman, William Nylander, Kasperi Kapanen and Travis Dermott now on their roster, the next step for the club is to keep replenishing the prospect pool to provide the Leafs with youngsters who can take step and replace veterans who retire, depart via free agency or are traded.
With some input from Sportsology’s Russ Cohen and Gus Katsaros of McKeen’s Hockey, 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.
Players such as Dermott, Kapanen, Frederik Gauthier, Andreas Borgman, Calle Rosen, Josh Leivo, Garret Sparks and Justin Holl are not eligible because they have played more than 30 NHL games or are over the age of 23.
Greenway was one of three players selected by Toronto in the 2016 NHL Draft from the US National Development Program. The third round pick is a physical specimen (6’4”, 205 lb.) like his brother Jordan (winger for the Minnesota Wild), but the hope was that his game would develop at the University of Wisconsin.
That path has encountered some problems. After playing 34 games as a freshman and attending the WJC Summer Showcase last summer, Greenway was scratched for all but 12 games as a sophomore and announced in May that he is leaving the Badgers to play for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL this season.
The 20-year-old has a lot of rough edges and did not show any marked improvement at the Leafs recent Development Camp, but the blueliner has two years of NCAA eligibility, which allows the Leafs to retain his rights.
#24 – Ian Scott (Goaltender, Prince Albert Raiders – WHL)
Scott meets all the physical requirements of what NHL teams are looking for from goalies (6’3”, 174 lb) and after playing 50 games for the second straight year in Prince Albert and winning 24 of their 32 games, he made his professional debut for the Toronto Marlies at the end of the season.
The 19-year-old did not participate in the Leafs Development Camp in June, because he practiced with the Marlies through their Calder Cup Playoff run. He is expected to return to the WHL for another campaign and will need to sign an entry-level contract before next June or he will re-enter the NHL Draft.
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