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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 club under former GM Kyle Dubas replenished their prospect pool to provide the Leafs with young prospects. It will now be up to new GM Brad Treliving to continue that work.
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.
Players are eligible for the list if they have not played more than 40 NHL games and/or are 25 years old or younger:
#40 Rodion Amirov
Note: In honor of Amirov after his passing earlier this month, we will keep him on the Leafs prospect list.
#39 Ryan Chyzowski - LW (Newfoundland - ECHL, Toronto - AHL)
#38 Dryden McKay - G (Newfoundland - ECHL, Toronto - AHL)
#37 Wyatt Schingoethe – C (Western Michigan – NCAA)
#36 Zach Solow - RW (Newfoundland - ECHL, Toronto - AHL)
#35 John Fusco – D (Dartmouth – NCAA)
#34 Kalle Loponen – D (Koo Koo Kouvola/HPK – Finland SM-Liiga)
#33 Noah Chadwick - D (Lethbridge - WHL)
#32 Semyon Kizimov - RW (Nizhnekamsk/Yekaterinberg - KHL)
#31 Max Ellis – RW (Toronto – AHL)
#30 Mikko Kokkonen – D (Newfoundland - ECHL, Toronto - AHL)
#29 Keith Petruzzelli - G (Newfoundland - ECHL, Toronto - AHL)
#28 Braeden Kressler – C (Flint – OHL)
#27 Hudson Malinoski – C (Brooks Bandits – AJHL)
#26 Veeti Miettinen – RW (St. Cloud St.- NCAA
#25 Dmitry Ovchinnikov – LW (Sibir Novosibirsk – KHL, Toronto - AHL)
#24 Brandon Lisowsky – (Saskatoon – WHL)
#23 Dennis Hildeby - G (Farjestad - SHL, Toronto - AHL)
#22 Ryan Tverberg – C (Connecticut – NCAA, Toronto - AHL)
#21 Vladislav Kara - LW (Podolsk Vityaz - KHL)
#20 Semyon Der-Argushintsev - C (Toronto - AHL)
#19 Nikita Grebyonkin - RW (Khabarovsk/Magnitogorsk - KHL)
#18 Easton Cowan – LW (London – OHL)
#17 Artur Akhtyamov – G (Neftyanik Almetievsk – VHL)
#16 Vyacheslav Peksa - G (Ak-Bars Kazan - MHL/VHL/KHL)
#15 Michael Koster - D (Minnesota - NCAA)
#14 Ty Voit – RW (Sarnia – OHL)
#13 Fraser Minten - C (Kamloops - WHL)
#12 William Villeneuve – D (Toronto - AHL)
#11 Alex Steeves – C (Toronto – AHL/NHL)
#10 Joe Miller – C (Harvard - NCAA)
#9 Nick Moldenhauer - RW (Chicago - USHL)
#8 Nick Abruzzese – C (Toronto – AHL/NHL)
#7 Bobby McMann – F (Toronto – AHL/NHL)
#6 Roni Hirvonen – C (HIFK Helsinki – Finland SM-Liiga)
#5 Nick Robertson – LW (Toronto AHL/NHL)
#4 Pontus Holmberg – LW/C (Toronto - AHL/NHL)
#3 Joseph Woll – G (Toronto AHL/NHL)
After years of using trades to acquire their goalie of the future, the Toronto Maple Leafs believe that their developmental project is finally ready to contribute at the NHL level.
Joseph Woll appears to be at the point where he is not someone who will get called up when one of the Leafs goalies is injured or sick, he is slated to be part of their NHL tandem with Ilya Samsonov. The 25-year-old was selected in the third round of the 2016 NHL Draft in Buffalo, the same draft in which Auston Matthews was selected first overall.
The 6’3”, 203 lb netminder played in the US National Development Program with Matthews and three seasons with Boston College, making 30+ starts each year. Woll won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2017 World Juniors as a backup to Tyler Parsons and put up very good numbers as the starter for Team USA in his second WJC appearance in 2018.
Woll was put in the position of starting his pro career as the primary starter with the Marlies in 2019 after Ian Scott’s career-ending hip injury, but the promotion of head coach Sheldon Keefe to replace Mike Babcock and the call-up of many players to the NHL caused a bit of chaos with the Leafs affiliate.
After starting the year 3-1-2 under Keefe, Woll went 11-16-3 and finished the season with a 3.75 GAA and .880 save percentage in 32 games before the league shut down in March. The Missouri native’s numbers improved slightly in an abbreviated AHL season, with a 3.54 GAA, .892 save percentage, and a .500 record (7-7-0) in 15 games.
Former Leaf GM Kyle Dubas made a concerted effort to improve the American League affiliate by adding veterans that would make the Marlies more competitive, including adding European import Erik Kallgren and veteran Michael Hutchinson to their goaltending depth, but just like 2021, Toronto’s goaltenders were struck by the injury bug.
Joseph Woll stops Sam Bennett’s between-the-legs attempt to keep the game tied 😮 pic.twitter.com/qHs0DhGn3z
Woll was on IR most of training camp with an undisclosed injury, but was recalled in mid-November after just three AHL starts to backup Jack Campbell. After winning his debut in Buffalo on November 13, he recorded his first NHL shutout on Long Island a week later and another victory in San Jose before giving up six goals in his only loss to Winnipeg.
Injuries have been an issue for Woll, as he missed a month with a knee injury after being returned to the Marlies and a season-ending shoulder injury in March.
Recovery from surgery delayed his return to start the 2022-23 season, but once healthy Woll played the best hockey of his pro career, earning an AHL All-Star nod with a 16-4-1 record, 2.37 GAA, and .927 save percentage with the Marlies, and with Matt Murray and Samsonov injured at times, he filled in with the Leafs, going 6-1-0, with a sparking 2.16 GAA and .932 save percentage.
Woll also stepped in and played admirably in relief of an injured Samsonov during the second round, earning the Leafs only win against Florida.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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