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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 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)
#32 – Nathan Mayes – D (Spokane – WHL)
#31 – Braeden Kressler – C (Flint/Ottawa - OHL
#30 – Jacob Frasca – C (Barrie/Sault Ste. Marie – OHL
Another example of the Leafs emphasizing size under Treliving was the signing of undrafted OHL center Jacob Frasca to an AHL contract in late June. The 6’4” 216 lb. Frasca was a late bloomer who missed a developmental season due to the Ontario Hockey League shutting down in 2020-21 due to COVID, but began showing some potential the last two seasons with the Barrie Colts and Soo Greyhounds.
The Brampton, ON native, played 51 games as a 16-year-old with the Colts before the OHL season was postponed in March 2020. After missing a season, Frasca scored only nine points in 30 games in 2021-22, but blossomed as a 19-year-old, scoring over a point-per-game (27 goals, 42 assists) and six goals in the OHL Playoffs.
Matt Knies finds free agent invite Jacob Frasca in front who buries Toronto's 3rd goal of the contest. pic.twitter.com/6YIma8WbuY
Frasca caught the attention of the Leafs as the free agent invitee impressed at the Traverse City Tournament last September, but last season was limited to 45 games with Barrie and Sault Ste. Marie due to a hip injury.
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