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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)
#29 – Chas Sharpe – D (Mississauga – OHL, Toronto – AHL)
#28 – Hudson Malinoski – C (Providence – NCAA)
#27 – John Fusco – D (Dartmouth - NCAA)
The Leafs had a trio of selections in the seventh round of the 2020 Draft and unlike most years, where they opted to select European players because they can retain their rights for longer than two years, they chose developmental projects going to US colleges.
With their selection at 189th overall, Toronto selected defenseman John Fusco.
Fusco played three years of high school/prep hockey at Dexter(Mass) and was bound for Harvard in 2020, but after the Ivy League announced the shutdown of winter sports earlier in 2020-21, the blueliner found a home playing for Sioux City in the USHL and for the Musketeers, He had 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists) in 20 games. In his first NCAA season, Fusco played in 26 of the Crimson’s 35 games as a freshman but tallied only two points (1 goal, 1 assist).
With limited playing time an issue, Fusco used the NCAA’s transfer portal and shifted to another Ivy League school in Dartmouth College. In his sophomore season, the 5’11” blueliner’s offensive totals increased to 11 points (3 goals, eight assists) in 22 games, but he showed some growth in his game last season, scoring seven times in 32 games.
Fusco has great bloodlines, as his father Mark won the Hobey Baker in 1983, played two seasons in the NHL with Hartford and in the 1984 Winter Olympics (Sarajevo) with Team USA and uncle Scott played in the 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics (Calgary).
Former Leafs Director of Amateur Scouting John Lilley indicated after the selection that the club liked Fusco’s competitive edge and his leadership abilities. With him entering his senior year, Treliving will have to decide at the end of the college year whether Toronto will offer him an NHL entry-level contract.
John Fusco (No. 3) scored two goals as Dartmouth lost 6-3 in the ECAC semifinals.
A strong run from the Big Green, but their season ends here. Fusco will be a senior in the fall.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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