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Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Late Round Draft Picks to Watch Out For

By Jeremy Ridgewell

WINDSOR, ONTARIO - FEBRUARY 18: Forward Ty Voit #96 of the Sarnia Sting skates prior to a game against the Windsor Spitfires at the WFCU Centre on February 18, 2020 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Dennis Pajot/Getty Images)
WINDSOR, ONTARIO - FEBRUARY 18: Forward Ty Voit #96 of the Sarnia Sting skates prior to a game against the Windsor Spitfires at the WFCU Centre on February 18, 2020 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Dennis Pajot/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect pool is considered to be excellent, especially when you factor in that they haven’ t made a high pick in years.

The last time the Toronto Maple Leafs made a high pick was in 2016 when they drafted Auston Matthews first overall. Since then, they’ve drafted in the mid-to-late first round, or traded their picks all together.

When drafting players after the early part of the first round, you never know how they will turn out. For Toronto, some of their later-round selections are playing well and deserve some recognition. Some players selected beyond the third round of the NHL draft can be late bloomers. Teams need to trust their scouting staff and have patience.

When fans think about a team’s prospects, they tend to only focus on those selected in the first or second round. The NHL has produced many star players that got picked after the second round. Many of them got into the Hockey Hall of Fame for the success they achieved.

I will be taking a closer look at three players selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs after the third round in the NHL draft. Each player is finding success this season, and this should not go unnoticed.

Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects Report

Ty Voit – C/LW

Ty Voit is a gifted playmaker with a high hockey IQ.

The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Voit in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL draft with the 153rd overall pick.

He is in his fourth season with the Sarnia Sting in the OHL. Last season, Voit recorded 26 goals and 54 assists for 80 points in 67 games. The 19-year-old has nine goals and 47 assists for 56 points in 34 games this season. His projection for this season is 112 points. (Stats from eliteprospects.com)

Artur Akhtyamov – G

Artur Akhtyamov got selected by Toronto in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL draft with the 106th overall pick.

The 21-year-old Russian spent most of last season with Bars Kazan of the VHL in Russia. His numbers were good, but his record was not.

He posted a 9-17-9 record for Bars Kazan last season with a .912 SV% and 2.69 GAA. Akhtyamov is playing for Neftyanik Almetievsk of the VHL this season. So far, he has a record of 17-7-2 with a .949 SV% and a 1.53 GAA.

Ryan Tverberg – C/RW

The Toronto Maple Leafs used their 213th overall pick in 2020 to draft Ryan Tverberg in the seventh round.

After the draft, Tverberg committed to playing in the NCAA for the University of Connecticut. He is in his third season there and has ten goals and ten assists for 20 points in 21 games.

The 20-year-old has the smarts, speed, and skill to become an effective NHL player someday.

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