8. Eemeli Rasanen (D, Kingston Frontenacs, OHL, 2nd round, 59th overall in 2017)
I might be the only one who thinks this, but I think Rasanen could potentially have the highest ceiling of all of their defensive prospects outside of Timothy Liljegren. He’s an absolute monster on the ice, standing at 6’7 and 209lbs, and he’s got a physical game that can’t be taught.
To make his case even better, he’s shown that he has an offensive side to his game this year with 22 points through 28 games. Scouting reports from futureconsiderations.ca indicate that he’s “Very calm under duress, no stress” and “finds seam very quickly utilizing his strong on-ice vision”. These are a few qualities that don’t get mentioned too often but are key when it comes to analyzing a player. The fact that he’s very good under stress and has strong vision can make or break a game during high pressure situations, so these along with his other qualities could help him bloom into an impact NHL defenseman.
7. Yegor Korshkov (LW, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL, 2nd round, 31st overall in 2016)
Korshkov never gets talked about enough due to the fact that he plays in the KHL and hasn’t exactly been lighting it up, but if all goes well for him during his development he could turn into a key player for the Maple Leafs.
The big Russian power forward has stumbled into his fair share of obstacles over the past few years. He was sidelined for half of the season last year and had limited minutes at the start of this year that led him to being quiet offensively for the first part of the season. So far he’s put up 18 points through 41 games, which truthfully aren’t bad totals for his age and situation. To truly gauge his talent and discover what he can bring to the table, he needs to eventually find his way to the AHL and play respectable minutes for the Marlies.