Be sure to like HockeyBuzz on facebook!
For the latest Leafs updates or on Twitter
*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact” button at the top of the page.
*******
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 are 25 years old or younger:
#40 Rodion Amirov – LW (Ufa Salavat – KHL, Did Not Play)
#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)
The Maple Leafs signaled their turn toward Finnish prospects a year prior to choosing four in 2020 by selecting defenseman Mikko Kokkonen in the third round of the 2019 Draft. Kokkonen was selected 84th overall out of the Finnish SM-Liiga, where he debuted as the youngest player in the league at 15 years old and played 56 games and scored 19 points (3 goals, 16 assists) in 56 games for Jukurit Mikkeli in his draft year.
The 6’0”, 200 lb. defenseman is considered an intelligent player and was physically mature at a young age, which helped him advance in the ranks, but still has room to grow in his game. Unlike the first crop of blueliners selected by former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas in 2018, Kokkonen’s main shortcoming is his skating.
According to HockeyProspect.com’s Mark Edwards, his footwork is decent, but his lack of speed hurts him when rushing the puck or when jumping into the play and he has trouble creating separation between himself and his coverage.
"(Kokkonen is) very smart (and a) good defender. (He) can still improve his foot speed, but like a lot of these kids, they all have work to do.” Former Leafs Director of Amateur Scouting John Lilley said in 2019.
The 22-year-old played in his second straight World Junior for Finland in Edmonton in 2021 and after completing his third year of professional hockey with Jukurit. Kokkonen then came over to North America and played 11 AHL games for the Toronto Marlies, scoring seven points (1 goal, 6 assists).
Returning to Finland in 2021, Kokkonen played 58 games with the Pelicans, scoring just 15 points (1 goal, 14 assists) before signing his NHL entry-level contract with the Leafs in March 2022. In his first full season in North America, the lefty shooter struggled early adjusting to the smaller ice and was demoted to the ECHL. He struggled to repeat his offensive success with just six assists in 36 games, but there is still optimism that he will make progress and adapt in his second season and eventually be an NHLer.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»