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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 make a contribution 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)
2023 Ranking - #36
The Maple Leafs continue to look at alternate avenues other than the draft to add depth to the organization, possibly to ascend to the NHL but also to provide layers of talent at the American Hockey League level. Zach Solow is one of those players who the club brought in on an AHL contract and has taken advantage of his opportunity.
The Naples, FL native went undrafted after two seasons in the USHL and led the league with 69 points in 2017. The 5’9”, 178 lb. forward played four seasons with Northeastern University and in 2021 split time between the ECHL and the AHL Chicago Wolves.
It was the same story for Solow the following season, splitting this time between the ECHL Florida Everglades and the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, but his playoff totals for Florida (18 points in 19 games during the Everglades run to the Kelly Cup) showed the maturation in his game.
In 2022, the Marlies signed Solow to a one-year deal and the 25-year-old posted a career-high 42 points (14 goals, 28 assists) in 42 games with Newfoundland and four points in 23 games with the Marlies. That earned him another one-year AHL deal from Toronto and he posted a career-best 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 66 games and 132 penalty minutes.
Zach Solow demolishes Joey Duszak away from the play and a brawl ensues with a Thunderbirds player actually having to be held back by the staff after punching from the bench. Some bad blood lingering between the Marlies and Duszak. They were all ejected. pic.twitter.com/GI3qjjQFn3
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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