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CHECK OUT RUSS COHEN’S NHLDRAFTBUZZ.COM FOR INFO ON PROSPECTS AND NEWS IN THE HOCKEY WORLD
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)
#29 – Chas Sharpe – D (Mississauga – OHL, Toronto – AHL)
#28 – Hudson Malinoski – C (Providence – NCAA)
#27 – John Fusco – D (Dartmouth – NCAA
#26 – Semyon Der-Argushintsev (Chelyabinsk Traktor – KHL)
#25 – Ty Voit – RW – (Newfoundland, ECHL, Toronto – AHL
#24 – Mikko Kokkonen – D – (Toronto – AHL)
#23 – Matt Lahey – D – (Nanaimo – BCHL)
#22 – Sam McCue – LW (Peterborough/Owen Sound – OHL)
#21 – Victor Johansson – D (Leksands Jr. – Sweden)
#20 - Alexander Plesovskikh - LW (Yugra - VHL)
#19 - Miroslav Holinka – C (Trinec Ocelari HC U20 – Czechia)
#18 – Roni Hirvonen – C (Toronto – AHL)
#17 – Timofei Obvintsev – G (CSKA Red Army Jr. – MHL)
#16 – Vyacheslav Peksa – G (Newfoundland – ECHL)
#15 – Cade Webber – D (Boston University – NCAA)
#14 – Ryan Tverberg – C (Toronto - AHL)
In the 2020 Draft, the Maple Leafs went heavily with European and American prospects, but with one of their three seventh-round picks, Toronto opted to select local product Ryan Tverberg. Tverberg was the fifth last player selected in the draft at 213th overall, after scoring 51 points (26 goals, 25 assists) in 47 games for the Toronto Jr. Canadiens of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL).
Originally committed to go to Harvard, the Crimson’s cancellation of their 2021 season due to the pandemic saw Tverberg transfer to the University of Connecticut. In 14 games for the Huskies, the speedy center scored seven points (4 goals, three assists). In his sophomore campaign, the 20-year-old led Connecticut with 14 goals, finished second on the club with 32 points, and was named a second-team ACHA All-American. Tverberg was also surprisingly in the mix for the 2022 Team Canada entry for the World Juniors in December but was one of the last cuts. In his junior year, Tverberg led Connecticut with 15 goals and after the season he signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Leafs.
Listed at 5’9 ½”, 168 lbs. when drafted in 2020, Tverberg filled out and is now 6’0”, 190 lb. Lack of strength was one of the chief areas of concern in the evaluation of Tverberg in Hockey Prospect’s Black Book four years ago.
“While Ryan is slight in size, he does show a willingness to enter the dirty areas and he was not afraid to be first on pucks. Overall, Ryan is a talented player but will need time. He is very weak and will probably have a long road to develop into a pro. The good news is he’s buying some time by going the college route.”
Tverberg got into seven AHL games at the end of the 2022-23 season, which gave the youngster an idea of what the league was like and prepared him for his rookie campaign. Last season, the 22-year-old scored 32 points (9 goals, 23 assists) in 46 games. The Leafs will be looking for the Richmond Hill native to build on a successful rookie year and if he does, he could be on the radar for a NHL depth forward role down the line.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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