Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto 5 Maple Leafs' Prospects Flying Under the Radar January 5, 2023 by Peter Baracchini Compared to the other teams in the league the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect pool isn't as strong. "We feel he'll challenge for the roster here.". [Maple Leafs 32 in 32: Season preview | 3 Questions | Fantasy breakdown] 1. Fantasy; Betting; Shows; Schedule; Player News; Starting Goalies; Line Combos; Ad. ", How acquired: Selected with No. Surely its not the end of the world for a team to not have a representative at this best-on-best tournament, but it is a compliment to have prospects competing for gold year in and year out. . "They finished the season in first place with a record of 32-15-13 for 77 points . He has the tools to be a top-six winger at the NHL level, but with the right development, I could definitely see him assuming a role on the left side of the top line someday. Heres a look at the sacrifices made. His OHL lead in scoring had shrunk to 4 points with Pavel Mintyukov on his heels. Theyre both skilful and they can make plays, Pennanen said. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. Mike Zeisberger, Stanley Cup Final | Avalanche vs. This season he is an integral part of the Finland National World Junior U20 team battling for gold in Red Deer, Alberta. Roni Hirvonen puts Finland ahead 3-2 with just 23.3 seconds to go. To order Who do you agree and disagree with? World Juniors 2020: Breakdown of every NHL teams' prospects | Sporting News Canada MIN DAL 12:00p -154 ANA WIN 12:00p -256 DET CBJ 3:00p SJ BUF 4:00p CHI NYI 4:30p VGS BOS Mon, 4:00p COL PHI Mon,. Perhaps it speaks less to Voits amazing form and more so to an inability to look beyond their borders for players. Hirvonen and Niemel worked out with the likes of John Tavares and Michael Bunting while getting to know the organization and city before returning to Finland to attend their world junior camp. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nick Robertson will unfortunately have zero impact on the 2022-23 season, as he underwent shoulder surgery, ultimately keeping him out six months. Making his World Juniors debut, Knies opened the scoring in the first period, scoring aone-timer goal on a setup from teammate Logan Cooley. Recently named captain of the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL, Abramov has matured as both a scorer and a leader. Firstly, the Maple Leafs were so close to having a prospect in the tournament had Voit been considered for the U.S. team. He went on to play 15:17 in the 3-2 win over Slovakia. Man, oh man, has this kid ever been turning heads at the collegiate level. They were drafted five picks apart in 2020. The Toronto Maple Leafs 2021 fifth-round (153rd overall) pick has. Maple Leafs Commentary: Will Dubas Target Darcy Kuemper? The Leafs will have six prospects three with Russia and three with Finland competing at the 2021 world junior hockey championship in Edmonton, starting on Dec. 26. World Juniors; Hockey Canada; Olympics; Euro; . Interestingly, in both comparisons, we likened him to players who were larger. Hockey Canada Director of Player Personnel said that Tverberg was among the most improved players at selection camp and was one of the toughest cuts to make. 57 pick in 2021 NHL Draft, 2021-22 season: University of Minnesota (NCAA): 33 GP, 15-18-33. Despite only having three prospects at the World Juniors this year, all three players I mentioned will be worth keeping an eye on as the tournament gets underway in Edmonton and Red Deer. All Roni Hirvonen is a 2020 second-round pick. If you care about the players who will one day wear the Maple Leafs jersey, youll be keeping track of Finland and Russia. The lack of picks, which we will get to in a moment, play a large part in the Maple Leafs not having a representative at the World Juniors in 2023. Toronto Maple Leafs After the COVID-19 forced the cancelation of the 2022 World Juniors last winter, the tournament will be restarted on Tuesday in Edmonton, Alberta. Ryan Tverberg is a 2020 seventh-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs. All But, for the first time since 1982, the Toronto Maple Leafs won't have a single prospect taking part in this year's World Juniors. The ceiling for Hirvonen with the Maple Leafs might very well cap out at the third line, but if he can offer anything close to what Pierre Engvall does, while on a cheaper deal, the Leafs will be laughing. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. FINLAND PULLS AHEAD! This is the third of four meetings during the regular season, with the Leafs winning 4-1 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Jan. 7 in the most recent meeting, while . Nice addition to the organization, Roni Hirvonens last-minute heroics send through to the #WorldJuniors semifinals. Right now, there is already a log-jam of defensemen in the line-up, though the fact he shoots right might very well smooth his path to the Leafs. In Finlands seven games, Roni Hirvonen had seven points and Niemela had six points. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Topi Niemela has his first point at the 2022 World Junior Championship when he and fellow Leafs prospect Roni Hirvonen assisted on Aatu Raty's goal in the third period . Hes a smart player, hes got excellent speed. Good skater. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. What Niemelas been able to do in Finland this year is ridiculously impressive for a 19-year-old, and only makes his presence at the World Juniors that much more intriguing. 59 pick in 2020 NHL Draft, 2021-22 season: HIFK (Liiga): 46 GP, 9-17-26. But given his style of play, I think hes capable of handling it. Welcome to NHL.com, the official site of the National Hockey League, Bienvenue LNH.com , le site officiel de la Ligue nationale de hockey, Tervetuloa NHL:n viralliselle nettisivustolle NHL.comiin, Vlkommen till NHL.com, NHL:s officiella web-sida, Vtejte na NHL.com, oficilnch strnkch National Hockey League, Vitajte na NHL.com, oficilnych strnkach National Hockey League, Willkommen auf NHL.com, der offiziellen Seite der National Hockey League, Bienvenido a NHL.com, el sitio oficial de la National Hockey League. Lilley says: Hes playing in three different leagues, but quite frankly hes doing his part in stopping the puck. EDMONTONIt would seem Maple Leafs prospects Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemel are inseparable. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners. The tournament starts on December 26th, 2021, and ends with the Gold Medal game on January 5th, 2022. The 2023 edition of the World Junior U20 Championship to this point has gone off without a hitch that is, aside from the handful of upsets that have seemingly overtaken the group stages early on. Today, the top five prospects for the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to NHL.com. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner has extended his home point streak to 19 games - a new franchise record - after assisting in the Auston Matthews goal in the second period of the game . Toronto will have prospects representing Team Canada, Team USA, and Team Finland at this year's World Junior Championship. At this years tournament, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have four prospects taking part. . They can make a good living and not have to learn a new language or new customs. There have been some standout performances by players throughout the system and . Hirvonen currently has four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 25 games. . All Rights Reserved. Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. So what happened to the picks that couldve been? The Flames used it to take Aidan Thompson with the 90th overall pick and retained 50 percent of Rittichs contract. To order And while a strong tournament, as each of the Leafs' prospects are expected to have, doesn't. 7 Reasons Connor McDavid Is the Worlds Best Hockey Player, Avalanche Must Fix Attitude and Power Play Problems, NHL Rumors: Blackhawks, Kraken, Bruins, Canucks, 3 Devils Who Can Join Jack Hughes at the All-Star Game, Red Wings Jake Walman Is Proving His Worth. 4-4. He would have missed the start of training camp. has been on fire with the Sarnia Sting this season, Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects Update: Voit, Knies and Minten, Suns Wanted to Fight the Pelicans After Zion Williamson Threw Down an Unneccessary and Awesome 360 Dunk, Early World Juniors Predictions for Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects, Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Report: Steeves, Shaw, and Voit, Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltender Carousel Continues to Spin. Giving him the fairest chance to make the Maple Leafs is the ultimate goal.. But he has had a good start in the KHL with Ufa-based Salavat Yulaev (five goals, three assists). He also makes weekly appearances on THWs Maple Leafs Lounge Roundtable. Was Lou Lamoriello as Good as Maple Leafs Fans Remember? Related: Maple Leafs Draft Picks That Got Away. He covers the Toronto Maple Leafs, World Juniors, and the NHL Entry Draft, and is also part of the Sticks in the 6ix Podcast, presented by THW. 64 pick in 2020 NHL Draft, 2021-22 season: Karpat (Liiga): 48 GP, 10-22-32. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images). Knies, who was a second round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2021, is off to a blazing start in his freshman season with the University of Minnesota where he has 16 points in 18 games to start the season. The fact he was picked in the second round back at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft points to the Toronto Maple Leafs seeing something in him. ", Video: VAN@TOR: Robertson fires home a Nylander feed on rush, How acquired: Selected with No. But knock Dubas all you want, his draft classes since he took over GM duties look promising, and should be given a chance to flower before the abilities of him and his scouting team are questioned. While Minten is proving to still be a reputable pick, the Blackhawks used the first-rounder to take Sam Rinzel 25th overall in 2022 and it was another first-round selection the Maple Leafs had to move to shed salary from a contract they signed. He needs more strength. He had six points in seven games at last years tournament and helped Finland beat Russia in the Bronze Medal game. A prospect could go from a projected third-round pick to a second-round selection. Expect him to slot right back into his role on Finlands top line and improve on last years tournament. Republication or distribution of this content is All three should be interesting to watch at this years World Juniors, not least because its individually each their last shot at the gold. With Seattle Kraken prospect Matthew Beniers and Calgary Flames prospect Matthew Coronato set to lead the charge for the States, Knies has an opportunity to step into a big secondary role for the United States. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Roni Hirvonen came up with a big performance to help his team pick up a win in their first game at the 2022 World Junior Championship. Here are some 2020/21 highlights from the newest #Leafs prospect, Alex Steeves Breaking ankles, scoring goals.Typical Saturday night for @Matthew_Knies pic.twitter.com/3jEZtTDXLl. The Finns are two-thirds of the Leafs prospect contingent at the world juniors. Both players aged out this time around and werent able to return with Finland to the tournament being held in Moncton and Halifax leaving the hopes of the Maple Leafs having representation at the tournament on the shoulders of their more recent prospects. All three of the Leafs' prospects at the 2022 world juniors are likely to play impactful roles. Like Kokkonen, hes played above his age bracket most of his teenaged career. Its telling that the Team USA roster has all but completely shunned the CHL (only 2 call-ups play in the CHL). Oilers Have Made 3 Forwards Available for Trade Who Goes? Alan Millar calls Ryan Tverberg (TOR) one of the two most improved players in the Hockey Canada program during the evaluation process this year. The Kamloops Blazers centre and 2022 Maple Leafs second-round draft pick recently finished a six-hour bus trip . He has been writing about sports since 2015 and has been with The Hockey Writers since October of 2020. Lets also hope this doesnt effect any other team at the tournament either. 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Watching Knies game, he has a play style similar to that of former Maple Leafs winger Zach Hyman. Fast forward to the 2021 NHL Draft and the Maple Leafs had just three selections with only one of those picks coming in the first three rounds. The 5-10, 177-pounder scored 55 goals in 46 games in his final year with Peterborough of the Ontario Hockey League in 2019-20 and will be looked upon to provide offense in the NHL this season. He can make some plays. With three players headed to the World Juniors, Toronto Maple Leafs fans arent exactly spoiled for choice in terms of who to focus on, though one name certainly stands out. Through two games, Hirvonen hasnt scored a goal and only has one assist to show for his effort. The 20-year-old is under contract with HIFK in Finland's top professional league but it's still undetermined whether he'll return this season. Enter Search Term. Niemela, who plays for Oulun Karpat of Finlands SM-Liiga, is currently seventh in league scoring with 24 points in 30 games. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star The 23-year-old, entering the final year of his entry level contract, was loaned to Vaxjo of Sweden's top professional league last season and responded by averaging almost a point per game. Lets hope he can pick up his offensive production over the next few games and lets hope Finland can finish in the gold medal game. For interview requests or any other inquiries, you can follow Alexs social media pages listed at the bottom of his articles like this one. "On the ice and off the ice, he wants to know what the best are doing and how they're achieving their fitness standards, for example," Wickenheiser said, "and he really has a plan for himself of where he wants to see himself go. He scored in all three games and was named MVP at the Karjala Cup as Russias under-20 team beat senior teams from Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic. ", How acquired: Selected with No. His combination of size and skill make him an integral part of the team, and theres no doubt in my mind that hell be utilized as such. Who cracks your list? Tverberg is a dual citizen, and many thought he had a better shot of making the Team USA roster than he did the Team Canada one. I hope all of the Leafs prospects do well in the tournament. . No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. Fraser Minten is staring out the window of a Sandman Hotel in Prince George, B.C. Lilley says: He just doesnt make a lot of mistakes. Fraser Minten is staring out the window of a Sandman Hotel in Prince George B.C... Season he is an integral part of the Finland National world Junior U20 team battling for gold Red! 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