Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. The Finnish national team picked. Of course, were talking about Matthew Knies, wholl likely be starring in the United States top-six when they kick off their campaign versus Germany. Matthew Knies out of the University of Minnesota gets the ball rolling as Toronto's first untouchable prospect. It was a draft that saw the Maple Leafs make 12 selections over the seven rounds, including one in each round. Finland will have its sights set on Gold this year. The Toronto Maple Leafs have a few prospects eligible to play in the 2023 World Junior Championships which will take place in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick starting on. . The 10 Best NHL Players From the 2013 World Juniors Or, you could see it from the standpoint that the Maple Leafs lack of representation comes from their lack of draft picks over the past few years at least in the first three rounds. Were excited for him. Despite his outstanding production at the junior level, he was unable to earn a legitimate look in the KHL until this season. Giving him the fairest chance to make the Maple Leafs is the ultimate goal.. The Maple Leafs' rebuild is off to a good start following the Mike Babcock hiring. Matthew Knies, Left-Wing, Age 20. ", How acquired: Selected with No. This season he is an integral part of the Finland National World Junior U20 team battling for gold in Red Deer, Alberta. The Toronto Maple Leafs have a few prospects eligible to play in the 2023 World Junior Championships which will take place in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick starting on December 26th, 2022. Some teams fear Russian players will choose to play in the lucrative KHL. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; The first major move of the Toronto Maple Leafs . 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. The defenceman is five-foot-11, shoots right and models his game after Cale Makar, and the younger version of Erik Karlsson. Perhaps the stand-out of Roni Hirvonens performances is the fact that, per EliteProspects, in 11 games with the Finnish Under 20s team last season, he scored 12 goals and added a further 3 assists for 15 points; statistically that shows through. The Leafs didnt draft any Canadians among their six picks in 2019, and only two of their 12 picks from 2020 were Canadian. If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. The World Juniors provides a sneak peek at the next crop of potential NHL stars. Hes a dark horse candidate to be a leading scorer for the US at this tournament and if he can finish on his chances like he did his first game, its very much a possibility. 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. He went on to play 15:17 in the 3-2 win over Slovakia. One of the reasons he was selected is his productive season at the University of Connecticut in the NCAA. It was really cool.. Hes a smart player, hes got excellent speed. "One thing he really elevated was his shot selection and choosing when and where to shoot the puck. What gives Maple Leafs management reason for optimism was the point-per-game pace he put together in the AHL upon his return. Now, the Americans have only played one game in the tournament so far. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto If you care about the players who will one day wear the Maple Leafs jersey, youll be keeping track of Finland and Russia. They were drafted five picks apart in 2020. All three should be interesting to watch at this years World Juniors, not least because its individually each their last shot at the gold. Making his World Juniors debut, Knies opened the scoring in the first period, scoring aone-timer goal on a setup from teammate Logan Cooley. Our expectations for him are to make a little bit of a jump. As I mentioned earlier, Maple Leafs 2020 seventh round pick Ryan Tverberg was among the last cuts for Team Canada, which largely had to do with the emergence of Bedard at selection camp. Matthew Knies was expected to. We look forward to seeing him in this tournament. Interestingly, in both comparisons, we likened him to players who were larger. I think hell earn ice time., Drafted: 2020 (third round, 64th overall). All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. World Juniors; Football. 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. He has five goals and 17 assists for 22 points in 25 games so far this season. He is not as good a skater as Makar, but some day hes going to be a power player and a penalty-killing defenceman, Pennanen said. Kokkonen has been regular on Finlands national junior teams since he was 15, playing above his age bracket and appearing in the world juniors last year at 18. 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. 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. Toronto Maple Leafs 153rd overall selection, Forward Ty Voit #96 of the Sarnia Sting (Photo by Dennis Pajot/Getty Images). "Physically, he is very imposing. While no Maple Leafs prospects will be representing Team Canada this year, they will have some representation in North America. Toronto Maple Leafs news fromFanSided Daily, Toronto Maple Leafs Put Streak on the Line vs Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs: Nick Robertson InjuredAgain. I. 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. EDMONTONIt would seem Maple Leafs prospects Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemel are inseparable. 4-4. Also as predicted, Hirvonen has been a key player for Finland as well. The Toronto Maple Leafs had three prospects playing in the tournament: Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemel played for Team Finland, and Matthew Knies played on one of the Team USA rosters. Fantasy; Betting; Shows; Schedule; Player News; Starting Goalies; Line Combos; Ad. The same day the Maple Leafs landed Foligno, they also acquired David Rittich from the Calgary Flames for their 2022 third-round pick. 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. I also predicted big performances from all three. The Toronto Maple Leafs (25-9-7) hit the road to battle the Detroit Red WIngs (17-15-7) Thursday evening at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit in a battle between Original Six foes. 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 Niemela is one of two Toronto prospects representing Team Finland at the World Junior Championship. 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. Hirvonen, what a great player, unbelievable. Here's this week's look at some of the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects and how they're doing at the major junior level. Some might consider these sacrifices made by a club that has been a perennial first-round exit for the past six seasons. Marner, selected Thursday to the NHL All-Star . "I thought within his game, he always had his strong attributes," Toronto AHL coach Greg Moore said. He has a great shot. With the calendar turning over to 2023 and the World Juniors signaling the unofficial halfway point in the hockey calendar, it's an excellent time to reassess the Leafs' prospect pipeline. Republication or distribution of this content is Hes a 19-year-old playing in one of the top leagues in the world. Alan Millar calls Ryan Tverberg (TOR) one of the two most improved players in the Hockey Canada program during the evaluation process this year. They can make a good living and not have to learn a new language or new customs. What do you think of my list? He was invited to USAs camp in the summer and currently leads the OHL in points with 30 points in 16 games. Knies will be representing Team USA at the World Junior Championship. NHL.com is providing in-depth prospect analysis for each of its 32 teams from August 8-September 8. To order copies of But they did venture over earlier in the summer, a week before other prospects had their development camp. Knies, Niemela, and Robertson all look like they could become regular NHLers someday, and the rest of the prospects I listed certainly dont lack potential. Of the four Toronto Maple Leafs prospects that did get selected, there will be three countries represented. He beats you offensively and on defence., Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. Here is a look at each of those four prospects. Hirvonen has two goals and four assists on the top line with Islanders prospect Aatu Rty and Joakim Kemell, drafted 17th by the Nashville Predators this year. Just five picks before the Maple Leafs selected Niemela. Topi Niemela got drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round of the 2020 NHL draft. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onToronto Maple Leafs and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Expect him to slot right back into his role on Finlands top line and improve on last years tournament. 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. Its telling that the Team USA roster has all but completely shunned the CHL (only 2 call-ups play in the CHL). On July 7, 2022, the Maple Leafs moved Petr Mrazek and his mistake-of-a-contract to the Chicago Blackhawks along with their 2022 first-round pick as a salary dump, in exchange for the second-round pick the Maple Leafs would use to select Minten. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. 84. Last year, the Toronto Maple Leafs saw prospects Matthew Knies suit up for Team USA and Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemela play for Finland. He would have missed the start of training camp. 72. Hes 18 but I think he should be another guy that plays a pretty prominent role on their team. With such hype around him and the potential for Knies to be a bit of a wildcard addition to the Toronto Maple Leafs line-up as they near the Stanley Cup Playoffs, its understandable to have eyes on him. Team USA will play Slovakia on the first night (December 26th) of the tournament at 9:30 pm ET. Hes good defensively. Hockey Prospect has him . Auston Matthews, Calle Jarnkrok, Conor Timmins, Zach Aston-Reese and Timothy Liljegren also scored for Toronto, which swept its three-game season series with the Flyers. Steven Ellis. Quite frankly, Im happy with our group.. Mike Zeisberger, Stanley Cup Final | Avalanche vs. Kressler may be a long shot to join Team Canada, but hes had a hot start with 8 goals and 12 points in 8 OHL games after starting the season hurt. Notably though, every defensemen ahead of him on that list was older. But he has had a good start in the KHL with Ufa-based Salavat Yulaev (five goals, three assists). Matthew Knies is a 2021 second-round pick of the Leafs selected #57th overall in that draft. Niemela (5-11, 156) was viewed as a defensive defenseman when he was drafted by the Maple Leafs but has developed into a promising offensive force in his subsequent two seasons. 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. 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. 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 . 59 pick in 2020 NHL Draft, 2021-22 season: HIFK (Liiga): 46 GP, 9-17-26. If theres any prospect Maple Leafs fans are going to be watching closely this year, its Niemela. As good as Akhtyamov has been in the KHL and two lower leagues, hes not expected to get much ice time in the tournament with teammate Yaroslav Askarov seen as the next big thing in goaltending. Credit: Photo by Steven Ellis . Toronto has 11 prospects eligible to be in the tournament this year, but only the best get selected to represent their country. With 16 points in 14 games for the University of Connecticut, Tverbergs development looks to be way ahead of schedule. 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. Niemela is a puck-moving defenceman with three assists in nine games for Karpat in Finlands top league. The sixth-place team in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Wild (22-13-2), host the 11th-ranked St. Louis Blues (19-17-3) at Xcel Energy Center on Sunday at 7:00 PM ET.Minnesota grabbed a 5-1 victory at home its last time out on January 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.In its most recent game His OHL lead in scoring had shrunk to 4 points with Pavel Mintyukov on his heels. Get a bit more ice time than he did last year, and take on a leadership role. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images). But given his style of play, I think hes capable of handling it. This year, Hirvonen will be serving as Finlands captain. He has a very nice shot to go along with some sneaky speed for his size, and a solid physical game as well. Niemel picked up an assist in Mondays loss to Canada, his fourth of the tournament. They selected him with the #64th overall pick. One of the Maple Leafs best forward prospects, Semyon Der-Arguchintsev is a trade candidate leading up to the 2023 deadline. 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. He's played primarily in the VHL for Ak Bars, where he has a .910 sv% in. The Toronto Maple Leafs 2021 fifth-round (153rd overall) pick has. As I wrote about the other day, the Toronto Maple Leafs have three prospects at this years World Juniors and all should play a key role for their countries if they are to make it far. At this years tournament, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have four prospects taking part. Matthew Knies, F How. Hes the captain in Victoriaville this year, which for us is a step in the development department to not only be a good player on your team but then take that next step to be a leader. Its unclear whether they will venture to Toronto in September for what would be their first training camp with the Leafs. For interview requests or any other inquiries, you can follow Alexs social media pages listed at the bottom of his articles like this one. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Additionally, he was able to notch roughly a point every second game in the Finnish Liiga also; again despite playing against much older competition. They've known each other since they were kids. Noesen played just one game for the Maple Leafs in the regular season and ended up heading to Carolina the following season. Its not usual to go at the same time with a good friend.. Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. (Hirvonen) can be good on the power player and everything else. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. Good skater. Fraser Minten drafted 38th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs Leafs Prospects Anthony Petrielli - Jul 8, 2022 A day after trading down, the Leafs have made their first selection in the. Lets hope this doesnt derail USAs tournament as theyre poised to really make some noise and defend their gold medal from last year. They were drafted five picks apart in 2020. NHL Rumors: Canadiens, Bruins, Oilers, Canucks, Maple Leafs Have 3 Good Trade Options to Fix Their Forward Lines, William Nylanders Success Means Unclear Future in Toronto, Canadiens Dont Need to Rush to Add Pierre-Luc Dubois, Oilers Finally Getting the Version of Jack Campbell They Paid For, Revisiting the Golden Knights Trade for Max Pacioretty, Mark Messier NHL Legend and 6-Time Stanley Cup Winner, The Strangest Superstitions in NHL History, 3 Takeaways From Oilers 5-2 Victory Over Kraken in Kanes Return, Wilds Brodin & Spurgeon Lead Way in Win Over Capitals, Canucks Prospect Report: Lekkerimaki, McDonough, Bains & More, Bruins Weekly: Krejci, Maple Leafs, Trade Assets & More. So, How have things been so far? FINLAND PULLS AHEAD! Braeden Kressler is an interesting prospect. As such, perhaps that sort of thinking no longer rings true. 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