*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact” button at the top of the page.
*******
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 focus of prospect development under former GM Kyle Dubas and the last few seasons under Director of Amateur Scouting Wes Clark seemed to be on skill players, while GM Brad Treliving has begun to transition with a focus on young players with size.
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 contribute in the future.
Youngsters like Bobby McMann, Joseph Woll, Nick Robertson, Pontus Holmberg, and top-rated Matthew Knies have graduated, but here is a list of players eligible for the list who have not played more than 40 NHL games and are 25 years old or younger:
#40 - Wyatt Schingoethe – C (Western Michigan – NCAA)
#39 - Zach Solow - RW (Toronto - AHL)
#38 - Semyon Kizimov - RW -(Yekaterinberg - KHL)
#37 - Robert Mastrosimone – LW. (Toronto – AHL
#36 - Marko Sikic – RW (Sarnia – OHL, Newfoundland/Norfolk – ECHL)
#35 – Jacob Bengtsson – D (Boston College – NCAA)
#34 – Nicolas Mattinen – D (Straubling – Germany-DEL)
#33 – Matthew Barbolini – F (Miami(OH) – NCAA, Toronto – AHL)
Treliving’s quest to put his personal stamp on the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect pool by adding players with a larger stature was furthered by the signing of undrafted NCAA free agent forward Matthew Barbolini to a two-year AHL deal in April.
A native of suburban Buffalo, Barbolini played three years in the Jr. Sabres system and two years with Lincoln in the USHL before heading to Miami (OH) University. In four seasons with the Redhawks, the 6’2”, 205 lb. forward scored in double figures three times and with consecutive 25-point campaigns as a junior and senior.
Elite Prospects says the 24-year-old “became one of the NCAA's top left wings through his off-puck anticipation and patient transition game. He sees lanes just before they open both with and without the puck, and has both the shooting and passing skill to take advantage. Barbolini’s defensive engagement, inside play, and flashes of a punishing physical game” are his attractive traits.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»