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 - Jeremy McKenna – RW (Wichita – ECHL, Toronto – AHL)
#39 - Ryan Tverberg – C (Connecticut – NCAA)
#38 – Ryan O’Connell – D (Ohio State – NCAA)
#37 - Semyon Kizimov – RW (Lada Togliatti – VHL / Torpedo – KHL)
#36 – Wyatt Schingoethe – C (Waterloo – USHL)
#35 - Kalle Loponen – D (Karpat – Finland SM-Liiga)
#34 - Vladislav Kara – LW (Cherepovets Severstal/Moscow Spartak – KHL)
#33 - Kirill Semyonov – C (Avangard Omsk – KHL)
#32 - William Villeneuve – D (Saint John – QMJHL, Toronto - AHL)
#31 - Ty Voit – LW (Sarnia – OHL)
#30 – Joe Miller – C (Chicago – USHL)
#29 - Brennan Menell – D (Minsk Dynamo – KHL)
#28 - John Fusco – D (Harvard – NCAA)
#27 - Axel Rindell – D (Jukurit – Finland SM-Liiga)
#26 - Noel Hoefenmayer – D (Toronto - AHL)
#25 - Alex Steeves – C (Notre Dame – NCAA)
#24 – Teemu Kivihalme - D (Toronto - AHL)
#23 – Kristians Rubins - D (Toronto - AHL / Frederikshavn - Denmark)
#22 – Ian Scott – G (Toronto - AHL)
#21 – Veeti Miettinen – RW (St. Cloud St. – NCAA)
#20 – Artur Akhtyamov – G (Ak Bars Kazan – MHL/VHL/KHL)
#19 – Filip Kral - D (Kometa Brno – Czech, Toronto - AHL)
#18 - Joseph Duszak - D (Toronto - AHL)
#17 – Mac Hollowell - D (Toronto – AHL / TuTo Turku – Finland Mestis)
#16 – Semyon Der-Argushintsev - C (Torpedo – KHL, Toronto - AHL)
#15 – Pavel Gogolev – LW (Vasby IK – Swe-1, Toronto – AHL)
#14 - Pontus Holmberg – LW (Vaxjo HC – SHL)
#13 – Mikko Kokkonen – D (Jukurit Mikkeli – Finland SM-Liiga, Toronto - AHL)
#12 – Joseph Woll – G (Toronto – AHL)
#11 - Dmitry Ovchinnikov – F (Sibir Novosibirsk – MHL/KHL)
#10 - Mikhail Abramov – C (Victoriaville – QMJHL)
#9 – Adam Brooks – C (Toronto – AHL/NHL) (claimed by Montreal)
#8 - Roni Hirvonen – C (Assat Pori – Finland SM-Liiga)
#7 - Timothy Liljegren – D (Toronto – AHL/NHL)
#6 - Matthew Knies – LW (Tri-City – USHL)
The Toronto Maple Leafs had only three picks in the 2021 NHL Draft after dealing their first and fourth to Columbus for Nick Foligno, and third rounder to Calgaryfor goalie David Rittich. With their first pick at #57 overall, the Leafs selected big winger Matthew Knies.
The 6’3”, 205 lb winger was born in Arizona and played most of his youth hockey in the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes chain before two seasons in the USHL with Tri-City. Knies posted two straight 40+ point seasons with the Storm.
Elite Prospects says Knies “establishes body positioning drives his value in every dimension of the game. He tries to be first on every puck at all costs, getting his leg in front of his opponent’s, then coming across their body with his hips to seal off the defender. “
The Hockey Prospect Black Book gave the Phoenix, AZ native an A grade and ranked 13th overall on their 2021 Draft Prospect list, calling the 6’3”, 210 lb. winger “a dynamic power forward with one of the most extensive tool kits out of any draft eligible player featured in this class.”
Matthew Knies is having himself a pretty damn good World Juniors Summer Showcase. Really excited to watch him progress.#LeafsForeverpic.twitter.com/0P7ivgYOBb
The 19-year-old made an impressive showing at the World Junior Summer Showcase in August with seven points (4 goals, 3 assists) in six games and according to US coach Nate Leaman was one of the surprises of a tournament. This could have some influence on his chances of making the roster for the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championships in Alberta this December.
Knies shifted from the USHL to the NCAA this fall and thus far has handled the transition well, with four goals in 10 games at the University of Minnesota.
#LeafsForever prospect Matthew Knies scored a goal and an assist last night in Minnesota’s 4-1 win over Wisconsin. He has 4 goals and 3 assists in his first 10 games of college hockey. pic.twitter.com/Jds0DR7f20
The Leafs begin a stretch of three games in four nights against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday. Toronto had their five-game winning streak snapped on Monday by the LA Kings and will have Jack Campbell in goal for his fifth straight start.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that center John Tavares and winger Ondrej Kase were game-time decisions after being banged up on Monday, and that recent call-ups Kirill Seymonov and Joey Anderson will be taking the pre-game skate.
Travis Dermott will be healthy scratch after going -3 on Monday and Justin Holl will make his return after sitting the last five games.
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