Toronto Maple Leafs European Prospect Update
October is finally here, it’s tough enough just to keep up with the NHL so we will be keeping you up to date with all of the Toronto Maple Leaf’s prospects outside of the NHL and AHL.
Hockey is finally here for the 2019/20 season. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies have began their season and leagues around the world are kicking off also. There will be days where the last thing we want to read about are the performances of the Toronto Maple leafs. That’s why we are bringing you updates on Toronto Maple Leaf prospects from around the world and how their development is going in the current teams.
To help with that escape, we will releasing updates throughout the year on the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects. We will divide these updates into two categories:
- European Prospects
- North American Prospects
The European prospects will include prospects playing in any European league and the North American prospects will include players from the NCAA, USHL and CHL.
We haven’t included any prospects playing in any of the professional North American leagues, AHL or NHL. We will be routinely writing about the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies, so updating individual prospect numbers from those leagues would be a waste when much more in-depth analysis is available.
All information from this article: hockeydb.com, eliteprospects.com, and nhl.com
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.
Russia – VHL (continued)
Nikolai Chebykin
Drafted – 2016, Round 7, #182
Age-22, Winger, 6’4, 216lbs
Nikolai Chebykin was a big body with a point producing touch when drafted out of the MHL in 2016. On a line with fellow Toronto Maple Leafs prospect, Vladimir Bobylov, Chebykin has managed 3 point (1-2-3) in 10 games for Toros Neftekamsk of the VHL.
When watching Chebykin there are raw tools there, a big body with an ability to carry and protect the puck. Yet another long shot seventh rounder, but he does bring tools to his game which transfer well to the North American ice, as seen with Yegor Korshkov recently.
Vladimir Bobylyov
Drafted – 2016, Round 5, #122
Age-22, Winger, 6’3, 205lbs
Vladimir Bobylyov is yet another of the Toronto Maple Leafs young Russian wingers plying their way in the VHL. Bobylov had a different path however, drafted out of the WHL he returned to Russia where found some time in the KHL before settling this year in Toros with Chebykin.
Bobylylov is a big bodied winger, yet unlike Chebykin, he already has a game with a North American touch. He showed in the WHL his willingness to fight and throw his weight around. Bobylov’s shortcomings are on the production side of his game, he put up 3 points (1-2-3) in his first 11 games for Toros this season, just like Chebykin he will need to greatly improve if he is to find himself of value to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Professional – SHL & KHL
Pontus Holmberg
Drafted – 2018, Round 6, #154
Age-20, Centre/Winger, 5’11, 179lbs
Pontus was drafted having been somewhat of an underachiever in junior. However, when the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted him his coach had already stated he had plans for Pontus at the SHL level. He spent last season with Vaxjo, putting up 10 points (3-7-10) in 47 games.
This season Pontus has an improved role with Vaxjo and is producing at a slightly higher rate in his first 8 games, managing 3 points (1-2-3) so far. He is considered to be a tidy, intelligent player who likely fills out as a bottom 6 forward. Considering his current tools and at the ago of 20, he could be the kind of player who could come across and fill a role with the Marlies.
Eemeli Rasanen
Drafted – 2017, Round 2, #59
Age-20, Right handed Defenceman, 6’7, 225lbs
Eemeli Rasanen hasn’t made life easy for himself over the past couple seasons. After what was a complete waste of a season last year in the KHL, the big man was given a chance with the Toronto Marlies. Instead he chose to return to the KHL for another year.
Eemeli Rasanen was consistently a healthy scratch throughout the 2018/19 season with Jokerit, which isn’t ideal for a developing player. He decided to return to the team again for 2019/20 and has already watched 4 from the press box and was dressed for the latest game, but never set foot on the ice. This is all ontop of him playing less than 7 minutes in each of his last two games.
Eemeli Rasanen was a player with a strong draft calibre who deemed himself ready for the professional game too soon. Sadly for him, this could be the downfall of his North American hockey career as he this appears to be heading towards a second pivotal development year thrown away by the big Finn.
Professional – Liiga
Mikko Kokkonen
Drafted – 2019, Round 3, #84
Age-18, Left handed Defenceman, 5’11, 198lbs
Mikko Kokkenen is coming off what was an extremely impressive year for a player drafted in the third round on the 2019 draft. He was playing over 17 minutes in the top professional league in Finland and managed 19 points (3-16-19) in 56 games. That made Kokkonen the top producing defenceman on his team as a 17-year-old.
This season Kokkenen has had a slow start, split between the junior team and the men’s team. He has played 6 games for the junior team, with 2 points (2-0-2) and 2 games for the top side. In his two games he is pointless and has been given reduced minutes compared to last season.
Despite a slow start, we should expect to see Mikko’s numbers improve through the year as he finds his way back in the fold with Jukurit.
Martins Dzierkals
Drafted – 2015, Round 3, #68
Age-22, Winger, 5’11, 170lbs
Martins Dzierkals is the strangest of all Toronto Maple Leaf ‘prospects.’ I say that, because Martins has reportedly made it clear to the organisation that he wishes to be elsewhere. The Leafs couldn’t guarantee him that he wouldn’t spend time in the ECHL and he believed he was above that level.
This is no real loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, whilst Martins has shown he can play at the professional level, he is the type of player that Leafs have in absolute abundance. He’s a small, shifty, offensively talented winger who is likely, at best, a bottom 6 forward.
Next. North American Prospect Update. dark
Dzierkals has 4 points in his first 7 games with Jukurit of Liiga, the Leafs have his rights for indefinite period of time according to Capfriendly. Hopefully he does become a player of value to other teams, in that case, at the very least the Leafs could recoup some assets for him.