Toronto Maple Leafs Top 10 Prospects Christmas Update
10. Andrew Nielsen (D, Toronto Marlies, AHL, 3rd round, 74th overall in 2015)
For the longest time it seemed as though the Toronto Maple Leafs couldn’t draft or properly develop a defenseman to save their lives. They made a couple of solid picks in 2015 and one of them turned out to be defenseman Andrew Nielsen. At the time, he was playing in the WHL for the Lethbridge Hurricanes and was looked at as a defensive defenseman with a strong physical side. He was often compared to Luke Schenn (which isn’t a bad thing if you’re talking about what Schenn was supposed to be rather than what he is now).
Anyways, Nielsen is playing in his second full AHL season with the Marlies, and so far has nine points through 26 games. He will likely spend another season or two in the minors before he sees NHL time, but it’s possible he could develop into a gem.
9. Jeremy Bracco (RW, Toronto Marlies, AHL, 2nd round, 61st overall in 2015)
The Leafs sort of drafted their two second rounders in 2015 backwards, if that makes any sense. They took Travis Dermott, who was projected late second round, with their early pick. Then they drafted Bracco, who was projected early second round, with their late pick.
Regardless, the Toronto Maple Leafs have so far gotten everything they’ve expected from Bracco so far. He’s not going to be an absolute prodigy offensively, but he definitely carries a strong offensive game. In his first pro season, the 5’9 Long Island native collected eight points through 17 games.
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.
6. Dmytro Timashov (LW, Toronto Marlies, AHL, 5th round, 125th overall in 2015)
The 2015 NHL Draft might be my favourite in recent memory. After what seemed like ages of drafting garbage and players who would never crack the NHL let alone the Leafs, they exploded and drafted a number of guys who actually had a chance to become regular NHLers. One of these guys was Dmytro Timashov.
Known mainly for his outstanding vision and passing ability, Timashov lit up the QMJHL as well as the World Juniors, representing Sweden a couple of years ago. He’s currently playing in his second full AHL season and has put his name on the score-sheet a number of times, currently sitting at a solid 19 points through 30 games.
5. Travis Dermott (D, Toronto Marlies, AHL, 2nd round, 34th overall in 2015)
Yet another player out of the stacked 2015 Leafs’ draft class, Dermott might be the safest player out of the Leafs’ prospects. When I say safest, I mean you know what you’re getting from him. He’s solid in every aspect of his game, whether it’s offensively or defensively. Some could say he’s the most NHL ready out of any of the Leafs’ prospects.
When he does crack the big squad, it will be a far cry to suggest that he’ll become a top pairing guy for the Leafs, however he could definitely solidify himself as a top four guy with both power-play and penalty kill minutes in the future. The Toronto native currently has 11 points through 24 games.
4. Carl Grundstrom (LW, Frolunda HC, SHL, 2nd round, 57th overall in 2016)
Grundstrom got off to a great start with Frolunda this season, putting up five goals and six points through 11 games. He’s been sidelined with an injury for a good chunk of games now, but when he comes back it’s expected he’ll continue to play at the same pace as he was when he left.
He’s already seen a taste of AHL action last year when he put up four points through six games, but it’ll be easier to gauge his talent when he moves to a full time AHL role. He’s the type of player who could become a fan favourite very quickly once he cracks the big squad. He plays a similar game to that of Leo Komarov, but with a much better offensive game. He throws big hits, plays the role of a pest, and can score goals. He will be a treat for Leafs fans to watch through the next few years.
3. Andreas Johnsson (LW, Toronto Marlies, AHL, 7th round, 202nd overall in 2013)
The only reason I put Johnsson above Grundstrom on this list is because while Grundstrom is probably a safer bet to become a full time Leaf, Johnsson has lit up literally every single league he’s played in to date. If the Leafs have had any true steals over the past 5-10 drafts, it’s Johnsson.
A small Swedish forward who has a hell of a shot, the Leafs decided it was time to bring Johnsson to North America after he put up 44 points in 52 games in 2015-16 as a 20 year old. He had a solid debut AHL season last year with 47 points in 75 games, and this year he’s performing at an even better pace, with 19 points in 25 games. The only direction Johnsson has gone since being drafted is up, and if he can carry this pattern to the NHL then he could become a dangerous player for the Leafs.
2. Kasperi Kapanen (RW, Toronto Marlies, AHL, 1st round, 22nd overall in 2014 by Pittsburgh)
Kapanen is slowly moving out of prospect territory and into the role of a youngster who hasn’t cemented himself with any team, but at this point Leafs fans know exactly what they’re getting with Kappy. He may not be the best offensive forward on the ice, but he is insanely fast.
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He also has one quality that you can’t teach and would make me want to keep him around just because of that. And that’s the ability to come through when needed.
Kapanen has clutch in his blood. He scored the overtime goal in the 2016 World Juniors that got Finland the gold medal, he scored the goal that would tie the game and eventually send the Maple Leafs to the playoffs in 2016-17, AND he scored the overtime winner in game 2 of the 2017 playoffs against Washington. Again, he scores big goals and does big things for his team when they need it most.
1. Timothy Liljegren (D, Toronto Marlies, AHL, 1st round, 17th overall in 2017)
Last season no Toronto Maple Leafs fan was really thinking about the 2017 draft as much as they were the past three drafts. Their 17th overall pick could’ve been anybody, and by pure luck they ended up with Liljegren, who was projected to go in the top three for a while.
Th Toronto Maple Leafs simply had an outstanding pick here. Liljegren is a defenseman, he’s right handed, and he’s a great puck mover. He’s off to a good start with the Marlies this season with nine points in 17 games, and while he isn’t absolutely lighting up the score-sheet, he’s looked completely at home and comfortable on the Marlies’ defensive core at the young age of 18. If he keeps this up, he could potentially see a full time NHL job as early as next year.
Next: Top Ten Prospects Previous Rankings
All statistics and information obtained from eliteprospects.com and hockeydb.com