Hes a 19-year-old playing in one of the top leagues in the world. December is here, which means the World Junior Championship is soon approaching. Some teams fear Russian players will choose to play in the lucrative KHL. Related: Maple Leafs Draft Picks That Got Away. Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. Today, the top five prospects for the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to NHL.com. Matthew Knies out of the University of Minnesota gets the ball rolling as Toronto's first untouchable prospect. And Hirvonen is captain of the Finnish entry at the world junior hockey championship, while Niemel is an alternate captain. Here are some 2020/21 highlights from the newest #Leafs prospect, Alex Steeves TLN's 2022-23 Midseason Leafs Prospect Rankings: Prospects 10-6. The Maple Leafs third-round pick in 2020 first made a name for himself at last years tournament, when he finished with eight points in seven games. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Topi Niemela has his first point at the 2022 World Junior Championship when he and fellow Leafs prospect Roni Hirvonen assisted on Aatu Raty's goal in the third period . Tverberg currently has nine goals and seven assists for 16 points in 14 games. Hirvonen, what a great player, unbelievable. Ryan Tverberg is a 2020 seventh-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs. With three players headed to the World Juniors, Toronto Maple Leafs fans arent exactly spoiled for choice in terms of who to focus on, though one name certainly stands out. Here are the top 10 NHL players to come out of the tournament that was won by Team USA 10 years ago. So what happened to the picks that couldve been? The Leafs, in recent year, have drawn from all over the globe when drafting players, unafraid as some teams are of drafting Russians. Knies is being viewed as a future top-six power forward, though it still remains to be seen when he eventually leaves college hockey behind whether he can stand-out in the NHL. The Toronto Maple Leafs will be keeping a close eye on their four prospects and hoping to see great things. Theyre both skilful and they can make plays, Pennanen said. OHL; QMJHL; WHL . presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Niemela (5-11, 156) was viewed as a defensive defenseman when he was drafted by the Maple Leafs but has developed into a promising offensive force in his subsequent two seasons. He was invited to USAs camp in the summer and currently leads the OHL in points with 30 points in 16 games. His OHL lead in scoring had shrunk to 4 points with Pavel Mintyukov on his heels. He beats you offensively and on defence., Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. FINLAND PULLS AHEAD! As I wrote about the other day, the Toronto Maple Leafs have three prospects at this years World Juniors and all should play a key role for their countries if they are to make it far. 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 . They selected him with the #213th overall pick in that draft. Regardless of how you look at it, heres a look at how the Maple Leafs were left without a single prospect in this years U20 tournament. The ceiling for Hirvonen with the Maple Leafs might very well cap out at the third line, but if he can offer anything close to what Pierre Engvall does, while on a cheaper deal, the Leafs will be laughing. All three of the Leafs' prospects at the 2022 world juniors are likely to play impactful roles. The 19-year-old's ascension from second-round draft pick to point-a-game player in the NCAA was impressive enough to land him a spot representing the United States at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where he had a goal and an assist in four games. It was a draft that saw the Maple Leafs make 12 selections over the seven rounds, including one in each round. Who do you agree and disagree with? All But theres still time for that to change. Its improving all the time., Pennanen sees the NHL in Hirvonens future: Of course it could take some time, but I think he has a chance to reach that level some day.. He scored in all three games and was named MVP at the Karjala Cup as Russias under-20 team beat senior teams from Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic. Its the luck of the draw. The Leafs have typically not contributed a great deal of Canadian prospects, largely because they havent drafted that many, and prospect-rich Canada tends to draw from first-round picks. Hes got really good offensive instincts., Drafted: 2020 (fourth round, 106th overall). The 2023 NHL Draft eligible prospect just turned 17 and is one of the most electrifying prospects in all of hockey reflected in his consensus No. He was undrafted but signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an 18 year old after the 2021 NHL draft. The roster. As good as Akhtyamov has been in the KHL and two lower leagues, hes not expected to get much ice time in the tournament with teammate Yaroslav Askarov seen as the next big thing in goaltending. While most NHL clubs have a horse in the race when it comes to this tournament, the Toronto Maple Leafs have no current prospects in the tournament for the first time since 1982 a span of 40 years. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. Knies, who was a second round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2021, is off to a blazing start in his freshman season with the University of Minnesota where he has 16 points in 18 games to start the season. In Finlands seven games, Roni Hirvonen had seven points and Niemela had six points. Now, the Americans have only played one game in the tournament so far. He could make his NHL debut following the end of Minnesota's season. Beyond Matthew Knies, the Leafs only have two other players headed to Edmonton for this summers World Juniors. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images). Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onToronto Maple Leafs and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Toronto's group of prospects include Matthew Knies, Topi. Heres a look at the sacrifices made. Knies announced in April he'll be returning to the University of Minnesota, a decision the Maple Leafs fully support. Making his World Juniors debut, Knies opened the scoring in the first period, scoring aone-timer goal on a setup from teammate Logan Cooley. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Hockey Prospect has him . Marner, selected Thursday to the NHL All-Star . NHL Rumors: Canadiens, Bruins, Oilers, Canucks, Maple Leafs Have 3 Good Trade Options to Fix Their Forward Lines, William Nylanders Success Means Unclear Future in Toronto, Canadiens Dont Need to Rush to Add Pierre-Luc Dubois, Oilers Finally Getting the Version of Jack Campbell They Paid For, Revisiting the Golden Knights Trade for Max Pacioretty, Mark Messier NHL Legend and 6-Time Stanley Cup Winner, The Strangest Superstitions in NHL History, 3 Takeaways From Oilers 5-2 Victory Over Kraken in Kanes Return, Wilds Brodin & Spurgeon Lead Way in Win Over Capitals, Canucks Prospect Report: Lekkerimaki, McDonough, Bains & More, Bruins Weekly: Krejci, Maple Leafs, Trade Assets & More. It was in his best interest and the best interest of everybody to give him the best opportunity to make the Toronto Maple Leafs, Lilley said. He makes the right plays over and over again. Toronto is encouraged by his combination of hustle and muscle (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) and sees him as an effective NHL power forward after continued development in college. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. #Leafs #LeafsForever, Maple Leafs Acquire Matt Murray & Draft Picks For Future Considerations, Maple Leafs Commentary: Matt Murray, Goalie Solution or Mrazek Mistake. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. He led the Tigers in scoring with 76 points, including 35 goals, in 63 games last year, and has four goals and 10 assists in nine games this season. Matthew Knies, Left-Wing, Age 20. "They finished the season in first place with a record of 32-15-13 for 77 points . Hirvonen has two goals and four assists on the top line with Islanders prospect Aatu Rty and Joakim Kemell, drafted 17th by the Nashville Predators this year. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free), Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. With 16 points in 14 games for the University of Connecticut, Tverbergs development looks to be way ahead of schedule. He has a very nice shot to go along with some sneaky speed for his size, and a solid physical game as well. 59 pick in 2020 NHL Draft, 2021-22 season: HIFK (Liiga): 46 GP, 9-17-26. Tverberg is a dual citizen, and many thought he had a better shot of making the Team USA roster than he did the Team Canada one. That said, the Maple Leafs do have five picks in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft and have yet to move their first-round pick. NHL Prospect Roundup: Toronto Maple Leafs' Joseph Woll is a brick wall. Russia's forward group is also quite strong up the middle. Andrew is in his 8th year reporting for The Hockey Writers covering the Toronto Maple Leafs. Fast forward to the 2021 NHL Draft and the Maple Leafs had just three selections with only one of those picks coming in the first three rounds. The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star He is not as good a skater as Makar, but some day hes going to be a power player and a penalty-killing defenceman, Pennanen said. The Finnish captain had a goal . As for the main acquisition, Foligno, he played seven games during the regular season with four assists and four playoff games after suffering an injury. There are six Leafs prospects at the world juniors in Edmonton three on the Russian team (forwards Rodion Amirov and Mikhail Abramov, and goalie Artur Akhtyamov) and three on Finland (defencemen Mikko Kokkonen and Topi Niemela and forward Roni Hirvonen). The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2022. The Toronto Maple Leafs (25-9-7) hit the road to battle the Detroit Red WIngs (17-15-7) Thursday evening at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit in a battle between Original Six foes. Alex Hobson is a writer and a radio producer for 610 CKTB. Follow on Twitter. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Matthew Knies will probably remember his opening game at the 2022 World Juniors for being in the middle of the most bizarre review and re-review of a goal. He currently has seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in 16 games. Perhaps the stand-out of Roni Hirvonens performances is the fact that, per EliteProspects, in 11 games with the Finnish Under 20s team last season, he scored 12 goals and added a further 3 assists for 15 points; statistically that shows through. On their four prospects and hoping to see great things with 30 points in 16 games year... Is also quite strong up the middle seven games, Roni Hirvonen had points. 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