Toronto Maple Leafs: Rodion Amirov Hype Piece

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Rodion Amirov in the first round of the most recent NHL draft.

Now although I am a fan of all that I’ve learned and seen of Amirov since the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted him, I must say at the outset of this piece that the player isn’t expected to become a superstar.

But then again, lots of players who don’t get drafted with that in mind turn out to be just that.  The Leafs have a drafting philosophy that prioritizes skill over everything else.  Though there may have been safer picks at 15 (that is to say players more likely to make the NHL) the Leafs chose Amirov for his high ceiling.

He may not reach it, but they believe that if everything clicks for him, his talent can make him a special player.  In a league where there are so few special players, its surprising that more teams don’t take this approach, but I digress.

Toronto Maple Leafs and Rodion Amirov

Amirov was taken at 15 with a pick that the Penguins sent over as a part of the Kasperi Kapanen  trade.  The Leafs had previously traded their own pick to the Carolina Hurricanes in order to rid themselves of the Patrick Marleau contract.

Amirov, as mentioned, is highly skilled. If you read the scouting reports adjectives that keep popping up include “smart,” “high IQ,” “two-way,” “speed,”  “elite stickhandler.”

Those are pretty much things you always hope to hear when researching a player your favorite team just drafted.  If you have been following the Leafs recent picks, then you know that these adjectives crop up again and again.

Like fellow top prospect Rasmus Sandin, Amirov doesn’t seem to have any single “wow factor” to his game, but seems to possess strong overall skill with intelligence. It is no coincidence that nearly every single Leafs prospect has things like “high IQ” and “Intelligent  player” in their scouting reports- its something they’ve even said on the record that they prioritize.

It will be interesting to see where all this leads. The nice thing is that having previously built a core group of players through the draft, none of the current crop of prospects has to be a “savior” or really to live up to any hype at all.

The Leafs could obviously use a breakout season from Sandin or Robertson, but if both players turn out to need another year of seasoning, its not going to affect the big club all that much.  Amirov will have tons of time to develop at his own pace, but the fact that he’s already playing in the KHL is a great sign. Obviously the KHL is a pro league where you play against men, as opposed to the fact that players his age would usually be playing junior.

Expect to see Amirov in Toronto sooner than later (but not that soon).