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The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has drafted and developed a number of youngsters currently playing in the NHL (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander), but the club under former GM Kyle Dubas replenished their prospect pool to provide the Leafs with young prospects. It will now be up to new GM Brad Treliving to continue that work.
As we did last year, we will rank the club’s top prospects over the upcoming 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 and/or are 25 years old or younger:
#40 Rodion Amirov
Note: In honor of Amirov after his passing earlier this month, we will keep him on the Leafs prospect list.
#39 Ryan Chyzowski - LW (Newfoundland - ECHL, Toronto - AHL)
#38 Dryden McKay - G (Newfoundland - ECHL, Toronto - AHL)
#37 Wyatt Schingoethe – C (Western Michigan – NCAA)
#36 Zach Solow - RW (Newfoundland - ECHL, Toronto - AHL)
#35 John Fusco – D (Dartmouth – NCAA)
#34 Kalle Loponen – D (Koo Koo Kouvola/HPK – Finland SM-Liiga)
#33 Noah Chadwick - D (Lethbridge - WHL)
#32 Semyon Kizimov - RW (Nizhnekamsk/Yekaterinberg - KHL)
#31 Max Ellis – RW (Toronto – AHL)
#30 Mikko Kokkonen – D (Newfoundland - ECHL, Toronto - AHL)
#29 Keith Petruzzelli - G (Newfoundland - ECHL, Toronto - AHL)
#28 Braeden Kressler – C (Flint – OHL)
#27 Hudson Malinoski – C (Brooks Bandits – AJHL)
#26 Veeti Miettinen – RW (St. Cloud St.- NCAA
#25 Dmitry Ovchinnikov – LW (Sibir Novosibirsk – KHL, Toronto - AHL)
#24 Brandon Lisowsky – (Saskatoon – WHL)
#23 Dennis Hildeby - G (Farjestad - SHL, Toronto - AHL)
#22 Ryan Tverberg – C (Connecticut – NCAA, Toronto - AHL)
#21 Vladislav Kara - LW (Podolsk Vityaz - KHL)
#20 Semyon Der-Argushintsev - C (Toronto - AHL)
#19 Nikita Grebyonkin - RW (Khabarovsk/Magnitogorsk - KHL)
#18 Easton Cowan – LW (London – OHL)
#17 Artur Akhtyamov – G (Neftyanik Almetievsk – VHL)
#16 Vyacheslav Peksa - G (Ak-Bars Kazan - MHL/VHL/KHL)
#15 Michael Koster - D (Minnesota - NCAA)
#14 Ty Voit – RW (Sarnia – OHL)
#13 Fraser Minten - C (Kamloops - WHL)
#12 William Villeneuve – D (Toronto - AHL)
#11 Alex Steeves – C (Toronto – AHL/NHL)
#10 Joe Miller – C (Harvard - NCAA)
#9 Nick Moldenhauer - RW (Chicago - USHL)
#8 Nick Abruzzese – C (Toronto – AHL/NHL)
#7 Bobby McMann – F (Toronto – AHL/NHL)
#6 Roni Hirvonen – C (HIFK Helsinki – Finland SM-Liiga)
#5 Nick Robertson – LW (Toronto AHL/NHL)
#4 Pontus Holmberg – LW/C (Toronto - AHL/NHL)
#3 Joseph Woll – G (Toronto AHL/NHL)
#2 Topi Niemela – D (Karpat – Finland SM-Liiga / Toronto – AHL)
The Toronto Maple Leafs went heavy on European prospects in 2020, which was likely a tactic implemented because of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a longer development window. Former GM Kyle Dubas moved down in the 2020 NHL Draft to get extra picks, trading a mid-second rounder (Tyler Kleven) to Ottawa for a late second (Roni Hirvonen) and a third-round pick which the Leafs used to select Finnish defenseman Topi Niemela.
Niemela played 58 games over two seasons in the SM-Liiga with Karpat as a 17 and 18-year-old and tallied 11 points (1 goal, 10 assists), but had a coming-out party at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championships, leading all defensemen in scoring with eight points (2 goals, 6 assists) in seven games and earning the prize for the tournament’s top blueliner.
The 21-year-old broke out offensively, finishing sixth in Liiga among defensemen with 32 points (10 goals, 22 points) and six assists in seven games at the 2022 WJC, and in May 2022 signed an entry-level deal with the Leafs. In his fourth year with Karpat, due to a coaching change, the young blueliner lost power play time and his scoring numbers dropped to 18 points (8 goals, 10 assists) in 58 games, but once he came to North America, his scoring prowess returned.
Niemela had two points (1 goal, 1 assist) in six games at the end of the AHL season with the Marlies, and five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in seven playoff games.
“He's a really good defender, really quick to close gaps, take away time and space.” Leafs former Director of Amateur Scouting John Lilley said. “(Niemela is) a first pass guy, not necessarily going to run your power play. Good instincts....not the biggest guy, so not overly physical at this time since he's playing against men, (but) one of the best defensive instincts in the entire draft.”
At Leafs training camp, while Niemela showed excellent speed and passing ability, he also displayed that he needs to get stronger and gain experience in North America to take the next step and play in the NHL. Being a right-handed shooter and someone who could eventually quarterback a power play, the young Finn could ascend quickly if he improves.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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