Should Leafs bring this prospect back as soon as possible?

The development of Roni Hirvonen has been fairly shaky so far, to say the least. The 24-year-old Finnish forward has had a bit of injury issues, most notably the one that occurred during a development camp in July of 2023, which had him out with a concussion after taking a hard hit from Nolan Dillingham, a camp invitee.

Later that year, on Oct. 15, he sustained another injury, one that could've seen him hang up the skates for good, when he took a stick to the eye in an AHL game against the Utica Comets, when he served time with the Toronto Marlies.

This season, Hirvonen is suiting up for Kärpät, a Finnish team that competes in Liiga. So far this season, in 37 games played, he has tallied 33 points (10 points, 23 assists). Those numbers puts him second on the team in points, third in goals, and first in assists.

Hirvonen, in his last five games played, has recorded four points (all assists) and in his last 10 games, 10 points (three goals, seven assists), portraying his touch of the puck which then leads to a goal for his teammates.

He is just under the top 10 in points among all Liiga players this season, showing how good he can be when on the ice. During his AHL time with the Marlies (2023-24, 2024-25), Hirvonen combined for 34 points (17 goals, 17 assists) in 96 games. Given his injury history at the time, he has to be let off the hook.

When should he possibly join the Leafs' organization again?

Hirvonen is currently under a one-year contract with Kärpät, as his entry-level contract has already expired after last season and decided to play in Finland this year. However, on Nov. 19 of last year, it was announced that he had signed a contract extension that covers the 2026-27 season.

The Leafs would possibly now have to wait until after next year to bring him back to Toronto. If and when Hirvonen returns to the Leafs' system, he could sign him to a deal similar to his entry-level one and bring him out to training camp next year, after his Kärpät contract is up. By doing this, he would get his footing back onto North American ice and be acclimated to the pace of play he has seen before.

This could also be a benefit, as Hirvonen would gain yet another year of Liiga action to further his development and improve his overall game, which is starting to look impressive given his stats so far this season.

Hirvonen has battled through tough times and setbacks so far in his young career, but he is showing just what he can do and provide for his team on the ice. He just turned 24 on Jan. 10, so he still has a long way to go, but the road looks promising for him as of now.