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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)
#13 – William Villeneuve – D (Toronto – AHL)
#12 – Alex Steeves – C(Toronto – AHL / Toronto – NHL)
#11 – Joe Miller – C (Harvard – NCAA)
#10 – Nick Moldenhauer – C (Michigan – NCAA)
#9 – Nick Abruzzese – C (Toronto – AHL)
#8 – Ben Danford – D (Oshawa – OHL)
#7 – Artur Akhtyamov – G (Neftyanik Almetievsk – VHL / Ak Bars Kazan – KHL)
#6 – Noah Chadwick – D (Lethbridge – WHL / Toronto – AHL)
#5 – Dennis Hildeby – G (Toronto - AHL)
The Maple Leafs have taken a shotgun approach to their netminder prospects, with four goalies in Europe or the lower professional levels in North America under the age of 25.
Joseph Woll has graduated to the NHL as Toronto’s presumptive starter, but the club now has Russian prospects Artur Akhtyamov (2020) and Vyacheslav Peksa (2021) playing in North America and 2024 draftee Timofei Obvintsev as a long-range prospect, but 2022 fourth-round pick Dennis Hildeby appears to be the youngster with the best chance to have an NHL impact.
The 23-year-old went undrafted twice until being selected in the fourth round (122nd overall) by the Leafs, after showing signs of putting it together in a brief stint with Farjestad. The 6’7”, 222 lb. Hildeby revealed at the club’s Development Camp after being drafted that he underwent corrective double hip surgery in 2021, but once he returned, he posted excellent numbers with Farjestad of the SHL (1.93 GAA, .930 save percentage in seven games).
“His teams were overrun, yet he stood tall and showed a tremendous amount of poise between the pipes.” The HockeyProspect.com Black Book said. “(Hildeby’s) mental maturity had caught up to his already impressive level of coordination and reflexes, which made him a late-season addition at the SHL level, where he didn’t disappoint.”
Toronto was quick to sign Hildeby to a three-year entry-level contract after the draft, in spite of the fact that he is slated to return to Farjestad for the 2022-23 season. The big Swede continued his solid performance level in the SHL last season, serving as the understudy to veteran Matt Tomkins but posting superior stats (11-9-0. 2.26 GAA, .918 save percentage).
After Farjestad was eliminated, Hildeby came to North America and played in two AHL games for the Toronto Marlies at the end of the regular season, getting a head start on the next stage of his professional career. Last season, the big Swede became the Marlies primary starter and one of the best goalies in the league, with a 21-11-7 record, 2.41 GAA, and .913 save %.
Based on Hildeby’s performance in training camp and the preseason, he may be one good AHL year away from asserting his presence between the pipes in the NHL.
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The Leafs made one roster move on Monday, sending defenseman Ben Danford back to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. The 18-year-old defenseman, who was selected 31st overall at the NHL Draft in Las Vegas, suffered a concussion last month during a rookie scrimmage and has not played in any of the prospect or preseason games.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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