
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.
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.