Toronto Maple Leafs: Top Ten Prospects

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LAVAL, QC – SEPTEMBER 08: Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Defenseman Timothy Liljegren (37) gains control of the puck during the Toronto Maple Leafs versus the Ottawa Senators Rookie Showdown game on September 8, 2018, at Place Bell in Laval, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a very good prospect system.

The current Toronto Maple Leafs roster boasts ten homegrown players that they drafted and developed. This includes six first round picks (Nazem Kadri, Morgan Rielly, Frederik Gauthier, William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews).

The common theme in the NHL is that the worst teams have the best prospect systems, and the best teams have the worst prospect systems.

This isn’t the case for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They are a top team in the NHL and yet they still have tons of talent to look forward to in the pipelines, despite recent Marlies graduates like Garrett Sparks, Andreas Johnsson, Travis Dermott and Kasperi Kapanen all currently in the lineup.

The Leafs have an elite scouting staff and development system, and it’s began to show over the course of the past few years. With this, let’s take a deep dive into the pipelines and check out the first part of the Leafs top ten prospects, with a look at numbers 6-10.

Here’s are the rankings for the last time we did this.

COLUMBUS, OH – DECEMBER 20: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Andreas Borgman (55) controls the puck during a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 20, 2017 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH. The Blue Jackets defeated the Maple Leafs 4-2. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

10. Andreas Borgman

Andreas Borgman is an undrafted Swedish defenseman that the Toronto Maple Leafs signed as a free agent prior to the start of the 2017 season.

Borgman didn’t make last year’s list because he was in the NHL. The fact that he is not currently in the NHL is more about the Leafs depth on the left side of the blue line (Rielly, Gardiner, Dermott) than it is about Borgman.

After winning the SHL rookie of the year award in 2016-17 and getting inked to a deal by the Maple Leafs, Borgman looked like the most promising of any defensive prospect competing for a spot on the roster.

He made the team out of training camp and spent a lot of the season on the bottom pairing. He appeared in 48 games and put up 11 points. His peripheral numbers were strong, and not that much different than Travis Dermott’s.

Eventually, Borman was sent down to the AHL where he’s been ever since. He has 13 points in 25 games this year and has the tools to be a solid defenseman at the NHL level.

TORONTO, ON – MARCH 25: Pierre Engvall /

9. Pierre Engvall

Pierre Engvall is a left winger whom the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted (LW, 7th Round, 188th Overall in 2014).

Engvall is 23 and was ranked eight on our 2018 list.

Engvall went mostly under the radar in the first few seasons after he was drafted, however he stepped up his game in a big way last season and put up 20 points in 31 games for HV71 of the SHL.

He followed that up by putting up eight points in nine AHL games. This season, he’s slowed down his pace a bit after a hot start where he currently has 13 points in 25 games.

Engvall has good size at 6’4 and is also a great skater, which is a huge asset to bigger players. He could potentially see an NHL call up in the future if he keeps improving his game.

Engvall probably tops out as a fourth liner in the NHL, and while that might not sound like much, everyone on this list is a potential NHL player, and that is what makes the Leafs farm system so good.

8. Calle Rosen

Along with Borgman, Rosen was the other Swedish player the Toronto Maple Leafs signed to an entry level contract following the 2016-17 season.

Unlike Borgaman, Rosen did not make the Leafs out of camp last year. Subsequently, he did not appear on our 2018 prospects rankings. He did, however, get into four NHL games during last season.

To star this season, Rosen was an afterthought for most people and he didn’t look to have much of a future with the Leafs, mostly due to their depth on left-defense.

This season, however Rosen has really moved up the depth chart by performing excellently for the Marlies.

After a decent debut North American season that saw him put up 22 points in 62 games, Rosen has made massive strides this season and currently has 21 points in 30 games for the Marlies.

The only thing the Vaxjo native has going against him is the fact that he’s already 24 while most prospects are in their late teens or early twenties.

Rosen, like Borgman, is definitely good enough to be in the NHL right now, and on a team that wasn’t as deep as the Leafs, he would be.

BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 05: Boston College Eagles goaltender Joseph Woll (31) keeps a close eye on the puck. During the Boston College Eagles game against the Northeastern Huskies at TD Garden on February 5, 2018 in Boston, MA (Photo by Michael Tureski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

7. Joseph Woll (G, 3rd Round, 62nd Overall in 2016)

Joseph Woll is the first goalie to make an appearance on this list. He was not on last year’s list – the only goalie on last year’s list was Garrett Sparks, who we ranked second and who is know in the NHL.

Woll was a 3rd round pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2016 draft, and is currently 20 years old.

Woll has been, without a doubt, the most consistent goaltending prospect the Maple Leafs have. He’s gotten better each season since his draft year. In his third season with Boston College, he’s put together a record of 5-7-2 with a save percentage of .929 and a goals against average of 2.06.

With Frederik Andersen manning the crease for the foreseeable future, it’s more than likely the Leafs will let Woll play out the rest of his college career before bringing him to the pros.

Nevertheless, it’s important to have good goalie prospects because it can be not only the most important position to fill, but also the most difficult.

DALLAS, TX – JUNE 23: Sean Durzi poses after being selected 52nd overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

6. Sean Durzi

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Sean Durzi in the second round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He is a right-handed defenseman who is a 6′ 200 lbs puck mover.

Durzi is currently 20 years old and playing for the Owen Sound Attack where he has three goals and 16 points in 16 games so far this season as an overager.

Durzi is playing in the OHL right now, mostly because the Marlies defense is stacked, and that is will he will get the most minutes.

Next. 2019 Top Prospects Part 2. dark

After being undrafted in his first year of eligibility, Durzi went in the second round to the Leafs, which is a crazy jump. In his draft year he has 49 points in a 40 games and showed NHL talent.

He is right handed, which gives him an edge. Along with Sandin, Liljegren, Borgman, Rosen and Dermott, Durzi makes up an excellent group of Toronto Maple Leafs young defenseman.

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