Toronto Maple Leafs Postseason Overseas Prospect Update

The Rest of the Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects

Other Maple Leaf Prospects playing overseas this year include Mikko Kokkonen, Roni Hirvonen, Filip Hallander, Axel Rindell, Kalle Loponen, and Dmitri Ovchinnikov.

Mikko Kokkonen, a Defenseman with Jukurit of the Liiga has played 44 games with a total of 9 points, playing 21:51 a night while serving as an Assistant Captain at the young age of 20. Kokkonen also went to Edmonton for the WJC where he put up 1 assist in 7 games while also serving as an Assistant Captain for Team Finland (stats liiga.fi).

Roni Hirvonen, Centre with Ässät of the Liiga has played 46 games while notching 6 goals and 19 points, playing 2nd line minutes at 16:09 per night. Hirvonen also traveled to Edmonton in December where he would put up 6 points in 7 games (stats liiga.fi).

Filip Hallander, Centre with Luleå HF of the SHL, has played 48 games and put up 22 points – not really much progression over the 14 in 27 games last year. Perhaps just an off year from the young Swede (stats eliteprospects.com).

Axel Rindell, Defenseman for Jukurit of the Liiga, has played in 41 games and put up 23 points while playing 20:25 a night. The offensive upside is apparent with Rindell, being third on team scoring along with 3 game-winning goals as a defenseman (stats liiga.fi).

Kalle Loponen, Defenseman with Kärpät’s U20 team in Finland has put up 11 goals and 33 points in 36 games, good enough for first in league scoring by a defenseman (stats eliteprospects.com).

Winger Dmitri Ovchinnikov split the season between the MHL and the KHL with Sibirskie Novosibirsk. In the KHL, Ovchinnikov played in 16 games and tallied only one assist, with very little playing time. In the MHL,  Ovchinnikov played 40 games, and put up 20 goals and 51 points; he lead the league in points per game by players with 31 games or more played with 1.28 (stats eliteprospects.com).

The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t developed a star player from beyond the first round since Tomas Kaberle in the late 90s.  As you can see from this list, the odds of that being corrected in the near future are strong.