The Toronto Maple Leafs don't have a prospect pool that many other teams envy, but there are some young players that could be something. Prospects who could end up being solid, reliable NHL players one day. But then there's the other group of youngsters -- players who are one step away from either keeping their role in the organization or being ousted and never playing in the NHL.
When it comes to the Leafs, there is a sizeable amount of these types of players. Older players, a few years after being drafted, who need this upcoming season to work for them to keep their NHL dreams alive. These are three players who are in that position:
Roni Hirvonen, C
Maybe more than anyone, Roni Hirvonen can either turn his career around or find himself playing professional hockey in Europe for the rest of his life. Of course, the second option isn't bad at all but it certainly prevents him from reaching the best league in the world.
Especially since Hirvonen opted to not stay with the AHL's Toronto Marlies and instead he returned home to Finland to go play for Karpat in Liiga. At 23 years old, there is still time -- but it might just be limited to this upcoming season. If Hirvonen produces at a high rate in the Finnish top division, the Maple Leafs might be really interested in bringing him back; if he is just nothing but a solid middle-six center even overseas, then he will probably remain there.
Nicholas Moldenhauer, C/RW
The University of Michigan forward really needs this year to go well for him. The Wolverines went out and got a whole pile of solid, young talent to try to recover from a down season last year and Moldenhauer could benefit from some help around him.
Once thought of as a very underrated prospect and potential steal as a third-round pick from the USHL's Chicago Steel, Moldenhauer has now had two seasons in Michigan go by with his production actually decreasing. Just last season, he managed to score three goals and a lowly 10 points in 29 games. Not great.
If the Mississauga, Ont. native wants to get a contract from his hometown team at the end of this year or next, he will need to show a lot more than he has so far.
Jacob Quillan, C/LW
Quillan has an advantage over the previous two prospects mentioned: He is actually playing in the Leafs organization.
The undrafted forward from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia just had his first full year of professional hockey and managed to score 18 goals and 37 points in 67 games. Not dreadful numbers, but not something that guarantees him future success or opportunity, either.
While considering Quillan's upcoming season "make or break" is a little harsh, at 23 years old, it really should be a strong signifier whether or not he has a future with the Leafs or will just remain a team farmhand down in the AHL.
If Quillan can somehow increase his production to anywhere close to a point per game, then he's a serious contender to either be the first recall whenever a Leaf is injured, or have a step above the rest to make the team next year. And if not; if Quillan is just trotting along with half a point per game and playing a middle-six role next year, then there's probably not much of an NHL future for the player.