Toronto Maple Leafs: Top 8 prospects worth getting excited about
The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to need prospects to step up in order to have success. Here’s a look at eight prospects who could help them.
After years of Toronto Maple Leafs fans having to experience bad teams, they have finally begun to turn it around. With young talents such as Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander, they have one of the most skilled lineups in the entire NHL.
Unfortunately, because of having to pay those young talents, they do not have a ton of cap room to sign other players, meaning they need young players on entry-level contracts who are able to step in and help them right away. Here are their top eight prospects who may soon be able to do just that.
8. Semyon Der-Arguchintsev
19-year-old forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev is perhaps the most intriguing prospect on this entire list. The Russian born forward was selected 76th overall by the Leafs at the 2018 draft. He has posted solid numbers with the Peterborough Petes of the QMJHL over his four-year career, none better than this seasons 75 points in 55 games.
The one thing that pops out when you see Der-Arguchintsev’s stats is his lack of goal scoring. He has 201 points over his four seasons of junior hockey, but just 38 of those are goals.
He will likely need to improve on shooting the puck more when he begins his professional hockey career next season. By all accounts the rest of his game is extremely well rounded, including his defensive abilities.
7. Mikko Kokkonen
With their third-round pick in the 2019 draft, the Leafs selected Finnish defenseman Mikko Kokkonen. The now 19-year-old has spent the last two seasons playing for Jukurit Mikkeli of the SM-liiga. In his two combined seasons with the team, he has posted six goals and 29 points over 95 games.
Although those numbers don’t seem overly impressive, it is worth noting that Kokkonen is still a teenager playing against men, many of whom have seen some time in the NHL in the past years. He still has areas to improve before he’s ready to make an impact at the NHL level, but so far he appears to be on the right track.
6. Mikhail Abramov
The Leafs used the first of their two fourth-round picks at the 2019 draft to select Russian forward Mikhail Abramov. The center was drafted after his rookie season with the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL after posting an impressive 16 goals and 54 points in 62 games. He appears to have taken massive strides in his development, as he scored 35 goals and 76 points in 63 games in his second year with the Tigres.
The recently turned 19-year-old will likely play one more season of junior hockey before transitioning to the pros. One concern with Abramov is his size, as he currently weighs just 162 pounds. However, he is still very young and should be able to put on some weight in the upcoming years.
5. Jeremy Bracco
Jeremy Bracco has been a highly touted prospect ever since he was drafted late in the second round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He has produced at every level he’s played, including the AHL where he put up a career high 79 points in 75 games. Despite those numbers, he has yet to play a game in the NHL.
Unfortunately for Bracco, he is starting to slip down these lists as a top prospect due to the fact he is now 23-years-old and hasn’t been able to get into the NHL. He is a restricted free agent this summer, so it will be interesting to see whether or not he holds out on hopes of being traded. He certainly appears to have the skill to at least receive a shot at the NHL.
4. Nicholas Abruzzese
Leafs prospect Nicholas Abruzzese seemingly gets better year after year. The center was drafted in the fourth round (124th overall) of the 2019 draft after a solid second season with the Chicago Steel in the USHL, putting up 80 points in 62 games.
Abruzzese commited to Harvard for the 2019-20 season, and though the Leafs were hoping he would have a good freshman season, they likely weren’t expecting him to produce the way he did.
The 20-year-old centermen led his team in scoring, posting an impressive 14 goals and 44 points in just 31 games. His play was good enough for him to be selected to the ECAC First All-Star and Rookie Teams. It’s still early for Abruzzese, but he is starting to really get the attention of the Leaf’s management.
3. Timothy Liljegren
The recently turned 21-year-old defenseman Timothy Liljegren got to experience his first NHL action this season, appearing in 11 games with the Leafs. He has been part of the organization since he was taken 17th overall at the 2017 draft.
Liljegren’s offensive game is highly regarded, and his 30 points in 40 AHL games this season back that up. However, it is both his defensive and mental game that are lacking. If he is able to improve on that, he has a chance to be a full-time player on the Leafs next season.
2. Rasmus Sandin
Like Liljegren, Rasmus Sandin also got to make his NHL debut this season. The 20-year-old stud defenceman appeared in 28 games with the Leafs, posting one goal and seven assists in 28 games. Those numbers will likely be improved upon very shortly, as the 29th overall pick from the 2018 draft is very offensively gifted. He proved this in the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championships, recording three goals and 10 points in just seven games.
There are many who would argue Sandin should be number one on this list, and they certainly have a case. The Swedish blueliner has a chance to become a stud NHL defenceman, and will more than likely make the team out of training camp for the 2020-21 season. The future is bright for Sandin.
1. Nicholas Robertson
What a season it was for Nicholas Robertson. After an impressive 2018-19 season with the Peterborough Petes which saw him put up 27 goals and 55 points in 54 games, the Leaf’s selected him with the 53rd pick in the 2019 draft. It was clear he had goal scoring ability, but no one could have predicted the 2019-20 season the 18-year-old left winger had.
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Robertson had one of the best junior hockey seasons imaginable, scoring an incredible 55 goals and 86 points over just 46 games played. This pick as of now appears to be a major steal for the Leafs, as Robertson had one of the best seasons from anyone in his draft class. It will be interesting to see where he ends up next season seeing as he will be just 19 years of age. Regardless, it appears Robertson is on the path to becoming an NHL star.