5 Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects to keep an eye on this season

Topi Niemela

Topi Niemela is a 6'0, 180-pound right-shot defenseman from Finland. The Leafs drafted him in the third round of the 2020 NHL draft with the 64th overall pick. Niemela played his first season in North America with the Marlies last season. He registered eight goals and 31 assists for 39 points in 68 games.

He quickly put away any doubts people had about how he would adjust to playing in North America. Niemela became a reliable defenseman for the Marlies last season and played in many different situations. He learned a lot and didn't let anything slow him down. Niemela became increasingly more comfortable playing in the AHL as the season progressed.

Niemela is rarely the biggest defenseman on the ice but looks can be deceiving. He plays bigger than he is and has an element of sandpaper in his game. However, his bread and butter is his offense. The 22-year-old is a great passer and is able to make a quick first pass to get the puck up ice quickly. His passes rarely miss their target, which helps the team transition into the offensive zone more effectively.

Niemela worked on the defensive side of his game last season and played better positionally in the second half. He still needs to work on how to handle odd-man rushes, but overall, he took many positive steps in the right direction last season. Another season in the AHL is probably best for his development, but I won't be surprised to see Niemela playing a few games in the NHL this season if the Leafs suffer any injuries to their defensemen.