D- Teemu Kivihalme, 6’0 180- AHL (GP; 24, G; 2, A; 4, PTS;6)
Like Lindgren, this season has also been relatively quiet for Teemu Kivihalme.
What is encouraging, despite the low point totals, is that Teemu is being played in the Marlies’ top 4. This may be due to the fact that Rasmus Sandin is with Sweden’s world junior team, but it shows that management trusts Kivihalme.
Teemu has to show that he can keep up with the pace of the AHL, or his tenure with Toronto will be a very quick one.
I like his overall game and what he brings to the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, but he’s another left handed defenceman.
Being a defenceman in Toronto is a great problem to be in- the media is hard to deal with, but the payoff of playing well, is huge. Teemu has shown that he can battle through adversity in Finland and university hockey with Colorado.
Now that Teemu is in Toronto, he is going to have to show why it was worth it to take a chance on him.
ETA; To be quite honest, I don’t think Kivihalme has much of a shot cracking the Leafs at this point in time.
Scouting report; A dependable, puck moving d-man, who is capable of eating up important minutes for the Marlies