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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 are 25 years old or younger:
#40 - Rodion Amirov – LW (Ufa Salavat – KHL, Did Not Play)
#39 Ryan Chyzowski - LW (Newfoundland - ECHL, Toronto - AHL)
The Leafs usual practice of scouring US Colleges, and the European and CHL ranks for potential hidden gems that can be developed into useful players is essential, especially with the club having a limited number of selections due to trades at the deadline. One player that Toronto rolled the dice on is forward Ryan Chyzowski.
The 23-year-old forward has a professional hockey pedigree (his father Dave was the second overall pick of the New York Islanders in the 1989 Draft) and first played for Medicine Hat at the age of 16 after being the Tiger’s first-round pick in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft.
In spite of scoring 52 points (21 goals, 31 assists) in his first draft-eligible year, Chyzowski went undrafted. In subsequent seasons his point totals increased to 55 and 69 points, but the 6’1”, 170 lb. forward once again went undrafted. In a COVID-shortened 2020-21 as an overager, he averaged over a point-per-game with the Tigers, prompting the Leafs to sign the forward to an AHL contract.
Chyzowski played mostly for Newfoundland in his first professional season, scoring 28 points (13 goals, 15 assists) in 29 games, and eight points (3 goals, 5 assists) in 17 playoff games, while tallying five times in 23 AHL games for the Toronto Marlies, but playing more in the AHL in his second pro year saw his production decrease precipitously. In 36 games with the Marlies, he scored just three points (2 goals, 1 assist).
Ryan is considered to have good hockey IQ, above-average skill, is strong on the cycle, and adept at avoiding defenders and puck possession along the wall, but does not have the explosive skating ability to be able to consistently create offense. The Leafs may be hoping that they can improve Chyzowski’s skating to the point that he can stay with the pace in the NHL, but it is possible that he could be limited to being a depth player in the ECHL/AHL.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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