Martins Dzierkals – Dinamo Riga (KHL), Liepaja (Latvia)
Selected in the third round of the 2015 draft, Martins Dzierkals had the most successful season of the Maple Leafs prospects playing in Russia (excluding 25-year old Miro Aaltonen).
Joining Dinamo Riga after he was upset with his role within the Leafs organization, Dzierkals began the season moving around quite a bit in the Riga lineup. Appearing on both wings, up and down the lineup, Dzierkals struggled to adjust to significantly tougher competition than what he was used to.
He failed to record a point for Riga from September 19 to December 12, which saw him demoted to the Latvian league in late November. This demotion can be seen as the turning point for Dzierkals, however, as he would post five points in four games for Liepaja and earn himself another shot with the big club.
By the end of January, Dzierkals had nearly doubled his point total on the year and was named KHL Rookie of the Month. On the whole, Dzierkals had a measly five goals and 13 points in 42 games. That being said, 10 of his 13 points came in the final 20 games of the season.
#LeafsForever prospect Martins Dzierkals picks up the game tying goal with some slick moves, and his 4th point in his last 5. pic.twitter.com/665UhqOVEu
— Xer0day (@Xer0day_) January 11, 2019
For comparison, the only U22 skaters to post 0.50 points per game over the entire KHL season were super prospect Kirill Kaprizov (0.89 PPG) and Winnipeg Jets first-round pick Kristian Vesalainen (0.55 PPG).
He may have requested a trade at the end of last season after failing to see consistent ice time in the AHL, but keep an eye on Dzierkals going into the future. His rights would’ve expired this coming offseason, but after leaving to the KHL the Leafs will retain his rights until he would be eligible for unrestricted free agency. He’s a longshot at this point, but Dzierkals still has some very intriguing tools.