Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects: Risers, continued
Noah Chadwick
To be transparent, the Chadwick pick was very concerning when it was made. All of the scouting reports said that he had an underrated offensive game but his skating is a real issue. Mix in his large frame and he looked like a prototypical Leafs miss from the mid-2010's. Fortunately, the early returns look positive as Chadwick found his scoring touch, breaking out from scoring 20 points in his draft year to 56 this past season ranking tied for third in defensemen scoring amongst first or second year draft eligible WHLers. If he can figure the skating out, there just might be a player here.
Artur Akhtyamov
The Maple Leafs goaltending pool took a major step forward this year with the emergence of Dennis Hildeby, who I will touch on later. Another goalie prospect who made waves this year was 2020 fourth rounder, Artur Akhtyamov. He was called up to play for Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL to fill-in for injury issues between the pipes. There, he impressed posting a .921 SV% through 17 games and continued to show well in the second tier VHL.
Dennis Hildeby
Dennis Hildeby had arguably the best case scenario rookie season you could expect. He came over and played his first pro season in North America and was able to take the reigns as the Marlies’ starter. He played in 41 games for the Marlies, posting a 21-11-7 record and a .913 SV%.
This season alone has taken Hildeby from a relatively overlooked prospect in the system to the top goaltending prospect in many people's eyes. He just turned 23-years-old in August and it would not be surprising if he ends up logging a few games with the Maple Leafs this season should injuries or performance play a factor. Even if he doesn't he has at least a couple seasons before the pressure should be on him to make the jump. (stats nhl.com).