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Toronto Maple Leafs European Prospect Update

By Patrick Morrison

TORONTO, ON- SEPTEMBER 10 - Eemeli Rasanen is checked by Bobby Dow as the the Toronto Maple Leafs Rookie team plays the Ottawa Senators Rookies in the 2017 Rookie Tournament at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto. September 10, 2017. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON- SEPTEMBER 10 - Eemeli Rasanen is checked by Bobby Dow as the the Toronto Maple Leafs Rookie team plays the Ottawa Senators Rookies in the 2017 Rookie Tournament at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto. September 10, 2017. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images) /
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KAZAN, RUSSIA SEPTEMBER 5, 2018: Vityaz Moscow Regions Igor Golovkov (L) and Ak Bars Kazans Vladislav Kara in their 2018/19 KHL Regular Season ice hockey match at Kazans TatNeft Arena. Yegor Aleyev/TASS (Photo by Yegor AleyevTASS via Getty Images)
KAZAN, RUSSIA SEPTEMBER 5, 2018: Vityaz Moscow Regions Igor Golovkov (L) and Ak Bars Kazans Vladislav Kara in their 2018/19 KHL Regular Season ice hockey match at Kazans TatNeft Arena. Yegor Aleyev/TASS (Photo by Yegor AleyevTASS via Getty Images) /

Russia – VHL

Vladislav Kara

Drafted – 2017, Round 4, #124
Age-21, Winger, 6’2, 205lbs
Vladislav Kara, who spent most of last season split between the KHL and VHL, which is Russia’s version of the AHL, is off to a strong offensive start with Ak Bars Kazan’s VHL team. He is currently leading their team in scoring with 11 points (4-7-11) in 11 games played. This is all whilst playing under 15 minutes a night, a large reduction from last season where he played over 18 a night.

Kara, who was an off the board pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2017, looked to be a player of a similar design to a Yegor Korshkov. Not necessarily in play style, but in that he appeared ready for the men’s game as soon as he was drafted.

Having played over 40 games in the KHL last season, Kara is the likely first call up for Ak Bars and is a player Toronto could show interest in in a similar way they did with bringing Korshkov over and moulding him in the AHL.

Semyon Kizimov

Drafted – 2018, Round 7, #211
Age-19, Right Winger, 6’0, 179lbs
Semyon Kizimov was a reach when drafted in 2018 and to his credit made the jump from the MHL to the VHL in his D+1 year nicely. He managed to put up 14 points (4-10-14) in 48 games with Lada Togliatti and was a top 10 U20 scorer in the league.

This year hasn’t continued in the same way, Kizimov remains pointless in 11 games so far. He has been getting slightly increased minutes when compared to last season, 8:38 – 11:01, yet isn’t making use of them. As a seventh rounder, Kizimov is exactly what you would expect, a reach. If he were to make it in North America it would require a huge jump.

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