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. Matthew Knies is seemingly the most likely to make the Leafs in the short-term, but that doesnt mean thatNiemel and Hirvonen cant aspire to making the NHL. World Juniors; Hockey Canada; Olympics; Euro; . 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 20-year-old's 2021-22 season was derailed early when he sustained a non-displaced fracture of his right fibula in the second game of the AHL season and was out for four months. The Finns. The Kamloops Blazers centre and 2022 Maple Leafs second-round draft pick recently finished a six-hour bus trip . With the process we go through, we compile lists, and we have had lots and lots of Canadians on our lists, but the way the lists go, we just havent had those guys in the spots where we were picking, said Lilley, a Leafs scout since 2006. (Statistics as of. Clearly a trade the Maple Leafs brass would like back considering the Blue Jackets used the first-rounder to select Corson Ceulemans with the 25th overall pick. rights reserved. 84. Some players will enjoy great careers, while other highly-touted prospects will fail to meet the lofty expectations. Toronto has 11 prospects eligible to be in the tournament this year, but only the best get selected to represent their country. It will be easier to go there because you have a good friend with you, said Niemel, standing with Hirvonen in the media centre at Rogers Place. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about Just five picks before the Maple Leafs selected Niemela. But they did venture over earlier in the summer, a week before other prospects had their development camp. Regardless of which team he is playing for, just playing in the tournament will be an incredible experience for him. Also like Niemela, it hasnt resulted in much success on the score sheet. He has been writing about sports since 2015 and has been with The Hockey Writers since October of 2020. Six is a fairly impressive number. Its the luck of the draw. Who do you agree and disagree with? Also, it just broke today that they will forfeit their second game as there has been more than one player who has tested positive for Covid-19. The 10 Best NHL Players From the 2013 World Juniors Minten was added to Team Canadas summer camp earlier in the year, but was passed on by a team that had more than 10 returnees from the summer when Canada won a gold medal. "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. 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 . Finland's Roni Hirvonen (22) is stopped by Latvia goalie Bruno Bruveris (30) in a world juniors game Tuesday. 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. And while a strong tournament, as each of the Leafs' prospects are expected to have, doesn't. Niemela, who plays for Oulun Karpat of Finlands SM-Liiga, is currently seventh in league scoring with 24 points in 30 games. Hes had a good start to the season., Drafted: 2019 (third round, 84th overall). Jul 31, 2021 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. He makes the right plays over and over again. What do you think of my list? Hes 18 but I think he should be another guy that plays a pretty prominent role on their team. Last time round they found themselves eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Czechia and it wouldnt be entirely surprising to see a similar result this time, especially given the insistence on not picking a squad of best possible options. NHL Prospects; World Juniors; Merch Shop; CHL. 57 pick in 2021 NHL Draft, 2021-22 season: University of Minnesota (NCAA): 33 GP, 15-18-33. Its fair to suggest that the Leafs prospect pool is lacking a star power, but players like knies, Hirvonen and Niemela make it much better than it should be for a team that hasnt picked in the top ten in the last six drafts. Fraser Minten is staring out the window of a Sandman Hotel in Prince George, B.C. The Toronto Maple Leafs 2021 fifth-round (153rd overall) pick has been on fire with the Sarnia Sting this season, with 48 points in 27 games. 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. Knies announced in April he'll be returning to the University of Minnesota, a decision the Maple Leafs fully support. Also as predicted, Hirvonen has been a key player for Finland as well. Nice addition to the organization, Roni Hirvonens last-minute heroics send through to the #WorldJuniors semifinals. Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. Here are some 2020/21 highlights from the newest #Leafs prospect, Alex Steeves Among moving other picks in the Mark Giordano trade and the Ilya Lyubushkin trade, maybe the toughest one to swallow came in July 2022.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thehockeywriters_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_9',828,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thehockeywriters_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_10',828,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0_1');.large-mobile-banner-1-multi-828{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. Enter Search Term. The 19-year-old's ascension from second-round draft pick to point-a-game player in the NCAA was impressive enough to land him a spot representing the United States at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where he had a goal and an assist in four games. Team Finland will play Germany in the tournaments first game on December 26th at 2 pm ET. Its more likely a year away for the 20-year-olds, who are under contract for one more season in the Finnish top league Hirvonen with HIFK Helsinki, Niemel with Karpat. FINLAND PULLS AHEAD! permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. Heres a look at the sacrifices made. #Leafs #LeafsForever, Maple Leafs Acquire Matt Murray & Draft Picks For Future Considerations, Maple Leafs Commentary: Matt Murray, Goalie Solution or Mrazek Mistake. 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. It was announced this week that a pair of Leafs prospects, Matthew Knies and Ryan Tverberg, will compete for spots on their respective World Juniors teams. . Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Perhaps it speaks less to Voits amazing form and more so to an inability to look beyond their borders for players. Knies has been taking reps on Team USAs second line alongside 2022 draft eligible prospect Logan Cooley and Florida Panthers prospect Mackie Samoskevich. Marat. His motor has been compared to that of former Leaf Zach Hyman, and his play last season was impressive enough to the point where there were talks of him joining the Maple Leafs at the end of the 2021-22 season. Expect him to slot right back into his role on Finlands top line and improve on last years tournament. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. Toronto Maple Leafs: What Is Nick Robertson's Role Next Season? The team took Matthew Knies in the second round, 57th overall, before selecting Voit at 153rd overall in the fifth round and Vyacheslav Peksa at 185th overall in the sixth round. Brandon Lisowsky is having a great season so far with 8 goals and 18 points in 16 WHL games, but it doesnt seem good enough to garner much interest for Team Canada. 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. Mintens injury to start the season might slightly hamper his chances at making the team, but he has 3 goals and 11 points in 7 WHL games since returning. 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. Komarov is 5-foot-10 and 213 pounds. There would have been one more, American Nick Robertson, but the Leafs decided to keep the 19-year-old in Toronto to prepare for the upcoming NHL season, with training camp opening Jan. 3. He is as defensively sound as a teenager can be. Toronto Maple Leafs news fromFanSided Daily, Toronto Maple Leafs Put Streak on the Line vs Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs: Nick Robertson InjuredAgain. While a majority of. The defenceman is five-foot-11, shoots right and models his game after Cale Makar, and the younger version of Erik Karlsson. 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. Republication or distribution of this content is He was invited to USAs camp in the summer and currently leads the OHL in points with 30 points in 16 games. American Matt Knies is the other. Somehow though, the Pittsburgh-born youngster hasnt been given the chance to help the United States in their quest for World Juniors gold. Were excited for him. 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. And if he impresses early on, he could end up being one of Team USAs go-to players. 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. 53 pick in 2019 NHL Draft, 2021-22 season: Toronto (AHL): 28 GP, 16-12-28; Toronto (NHL): 10 GP, 1-0-1. Difficult cuts. They've known each other since they were kids. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto With 16 points in 14 games for the University of Connecticut, Tverbergs development looks to be way ahead of schedule. He could make his NHL debut following the end of Minnesota's season. The Leafs prospect is a standout skater and transition player whose two-way game helps his team on the penalty kill. This season he is an integral part of the Finland National World Junior U20 team battling for gold in Red Deer, Alberta. If theres any prospect Maple Leafs fans are going to be watching closely this year, its Niemela. Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. 64 pick in 2020 NHL Draft, 2021-22 season: Karpat (Liiga): 48 GP, 10-22-32. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. It was a draft that saw the Maple Leafs make 12 selections over the seven rounds, including one in each round. (Hirvonen) can be good on the power player and everything else. Despite winning both contests, its been slightly underwhelming for our pair of Fins after two games: As predicted, Niemela has been a key player for Finland at this tournament so far. He went on to play 15:17 in the 3-2 win over Slovakia. With the departure of Heinola from the teams defensive corps, Niemela will without a doubt be Finlands rock on the back end, especially considering the unit as a whole is relatively inexperienced. All I hope all of the Leafs prospects do well in the tournament. "He played exceptionally well for them," Dubas said of Holmberg's brief AHL stint. 1 slot for the 2023 draft. Whats more is that the team only had the one selection in the first four rounds in 2021, which certainly doesnt help the case of having a top-end player from any country when it comes to this best-on-best set-up. 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