Fourth Round
A number of talented goaltenders were available in the middle rounds of this draft, with the Toronto Maple Leafs opted to take Russian Artur Akhtyamov with the 106th overall pick.
Akhtyamov plays his hockey in his hometown of Kazan and has been nothing but dominant in the Russian minor and junior leagues over the past couple of seasons, including this one.
In the 2018/19 season, he played in 54 games in the Russian junior league and posted an impressive 2.30 goals-against average and .921 save percentage. The 18-year-old followed that up with an astonishing 1.80 goals-against average and .931 save percentage in 46 games last season, and it appears as if this form is continuing into the early stages of the 2020/21 season.
He has split time so far with Irbis Kazan of the MHL (juniors) and Bars Kazan of the VHL (minors), where he has a 1.67GAA/.926Sv% and 0.98GAA/.957Sv% respectively – showing that he is more than ready to take on more responsbility.
The Leafs have some promising goaltenders in their system with the likes of Joseph Woll and Ian Scott, but adding a young prospect such as Akhtyamov, who is already posted great numbers in Russia and could get a look in the KHL over the next year or two, is a sensible decision for the team.
With their next pick in the fourth round (122nd overall), the Leafs opted to add another defenseman to the system in William Villeneuve out of the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL.
A 6-foot-1, 181lbs right-handed shot, Villeneuve was the highest points-producing defenseman in the Q last season with nine goals and 58 total points in 64 regular-season games before the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic shut the season down.
Villeneuve received mixed ranking prior to the draft, with some leaving him out of their top 100 while some had him sitting around that century mark. Either way, the Leafs have added a right-handed defenseman to their prospect pool and one that seems to have plenty of offensive upside.
Due to the bubbles being operated by the QMJHL, Villeneuve was unable to celebrate being selected with his family due them being located in Sherbrooke, Quebec, while he is in the Atlantic bubble.
He will continue his development in the Q with the Sea Dogs and already has an assist to his name in two games played so far this season. Improving his defensive game will be the focus on his development now that he has been drafted, but his offensive tools certainly interested the Leafs enough to take him.
Fifth Round
With the 137th overall pick, the Torotno Maple Leafs selected Russian forward Dmitri Ovchinnikov, who had just over a point-per-game season in the junior leagues last season.
In 54 regular-season games, Ovchinnikov registered an impressive 24 goals and 55 total points while playing for the Siberian Snipers (Sibirskie Snaipery) of the MHL.
His impressive showing last season saw him earn two appearances with Sibir Novosibirsk in the KHL, and his great start to the 2020/21 season (3G, 4A in 7GP in the MHL) has already seen him make three appearances in the majors this time around.
The 5-foot-11, 163lbs left-shot forward has great offensive senses and seems to put himself in the right places at the right times and uses his pace effectively. He will require some further development and will likely do so in Russia for the foreseeable future, until the Toronto Maple Leafs determine he is ready to make the move over the North America..