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Top 25 Leafs Prospects - #10 and 11; New Leafs Convo

August 15, 2018, 9:45 PM ET [51 Comments]
Mike Augello
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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 are ranking 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 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.

We continue the list today with the 11th and 10th of Toronto’s Top 25 Prospects with a pair of NCAA products:


#25 – JD Greenway (Defense, Dubuque Fighting Saints – USHL)
#24 – Ian Scott (Goaltender, Prince Albert Raiders – WHL)
#23 - Martins Dzierkals (Winger, Orlando/ Toronto – ECHL/AHL)
#22 - Andrew Nielsen (Defense, Toronto Marlies – AHL)
#21 – Riley Stotts (Center, Swift Current/Calgary Hitmen - WHL)
#20 – Filip Kral (Defense, Spokane Chiefs – WHL)
#19 – Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (Center, Peterborough Petes - OHL)
#18 – Mac Hollowell (Defense, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds – OHL)
#17 – Sean Durzi (Defense, Owen Sound Attack - OHL)
#16 – Jesper Lindgren (Defense, HRK/Toronto Marlies – SM-Liiga/AHL)
#15 – Fedor Gordeev (Defense, Flint Firebirds - OHL)
#14 – Mason Marchment (Winger, Toronto Marlies – AHL)
#13 – Eemeli Rasanen (Defense, Kingston Frontenacs - OHL)
#12 – Adam Brooks (Center, Toronto Marlies – AHL)



#11 – Dakota Joshua (Center, Ohio State – NCAA/Big 10)



The Maple Leafs are loaded up the middle with skill and scoring with Auston Matthews, Nazem Kadri and the addition of John Tavares, but there has been constant changeover on the fourth line. Veterans Eric Fehr, Tomas Plekanec, Dominic Moore and Frederik Gauthier saw playing time last season and a battle between Par Lindholm, Gauthier and Josh Jooris is slated for the upcoming training camp.

Joshua, a product of the US National Development Program, may be more permanent solution for Toronto as a depth center. The 22-year-old was selected 128th overall by Toronto in 2014 (the same draft class as William Nylander and Pierre Engvall) and played a year in the USHL before heading to Ohio State University.

The 6’3”, 200 lb center scored a career-high 15 goals in his junior season with the Buckeyes and played an integral part of getting his club to the Frozen Four with his play at both ends of the ice.




The Michigan native has traits that many of the Leafs forwards lack, using his size as an advantage, playing with energy and a nasty edge, effective on faceoffs and has shown an aptitude in a shutdown role; all of which could be valuable for a player who may be mature enough to step into the Toronto lineup on an entry-level deal if they sign Joshua after he completes his senior season.


#10 – Joseph Woll (Goaltender, Boston College – NCAA/Hockey East)



Selected in the third round in 2016, Woll split time with Tyler Parsons at the 2017 World Juniors as part of the gold medal winning effort by Team USA and put up very good numbers as the primary starter for the US at the 2018 WJC in Buffalo.

A native of suburban St. Louis, MO, Woll is physically (6’4”, 200 lb) what most NHL teams are looking for in a goalie and the 20-year-old has made 30+ starts in his two seasons at Boston College. He is considered the top goaltending prospect in the Leafs organization, but unless he leaves BC early, it will be likely another three to four years before he challenges for an NHL job.





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