Toronto Maple Leafs December European Prospect Update
VICTORIA , BC – DECEMBER 31: Pontus Holmberg #29 of Sweden versus Kazakhstan at the IIHF World Junior Championships at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on December 31, 2018 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Light/Getty Images)
Professional – SHL & KHL
Pontus Holmberg
Drafted – 2018, Round 6, #154
Age-20, Centre/Winger, 5’11, 179lbs
Pontus Holmberg has had a slow November and early December. So slow in fact, that he has been held pointless in his last 8 games, dating back to the second of November. Yet, despite his lack of production, Pontus has seen little to no change in his usage.
Pontus is an interesting prospect for the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. Whilst never being an offensive weapon, he has been a mainstay at the SHL level from the year he was drafted, a rarity for a late pick.
Prospects plying their way in any men’s league provide a much higher likelihood for success, especially considering the SHL and KHL are the best leagues outside of North America.
Holmberg is the kind of prospect who likely could be a Marlie come next season and provide additional centre depth within the organization.
Eemeli Rasanen
Drafted – 2017, Round 2, #59
Age-20, Right handed Defenceman, 6’7, 225lbs
It’s just one wrong step after the other for this big lumbering defenseman. It has almost become a comedy of errors if it weren’t so sad to watch.
Rasanen was recently loaned to Denmark, after a failed spell in the KHL with Jokerit, then in the Mestis with Kiekko-Vantaa. Rasanen has appeared in 2 games with the Frederikshavn White Hawks without a point.
Eemeli Rasanen legitimately presented as a high risk, high reward type of prospect. When you mismanage a high-risk prospect as abhorrent as Rasanen has been, there is little surprise there is no reward seen.
It’s difficult to know where the blame lies with this players development, likely with many people, but the opportunity to potentially have had a 6’7 right shot defenseman who could play all situations and produce looks to have disappeared.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have done a phenomenal job of their management of prospects and development of the past few years. Rasanen exists as a real stain on what has otherwise been a very positive system.