Hirvonen was one of Finlands more clutch players last year and scored some crucial goals for them, and hes relentless on the puck to the point where it gets under his opponents skin. Brandon Lisowsky is having a great season so far with 8 goals and 18 points in 16 WHL games, but it doesnt seem good enough to garner much interest for Team Canada. 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. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. In the last Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Watch, we took a look at Juuso Valimaki. Now he's older and will likely have a more prominent role for the team. It was a draft that saw the Maple Leafs make 12 selections over the seven rounds, including one in each round. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. But, for the first time since 1982, the Toronto Maple Leafs won't have a single prospect taking part in this year's World Juniors. 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 . Just five picks before the Maple Leafs selected Niemela. NHL Prospects; World Juniors; Merch Shop; CHL. Still the tournament is off to a great start with a number of NHL prospects leading the charge and some 2023 NHL Draft eligibles making noise for their respective countries. He needs to continue to work on his skating and mobility. Hes also second among defenseman in scoring, only two points behind the highest-scoring defenseman. Despite his outstanding production at the junior level, he was unable to earn a legitimate look in the KHL until this season. They were drafted five picks apart in 2020. Braeden Kressler is an interesting prospect. One of the reasons he was selected is his productive season at the University of Connecticut in the NCAA. Here's this week's look at some of the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects and how they're doing at the major junior level. Tikkanen is 6-foot and 200 pounds. Knies will be representing Team USA at the World Junior Championship. Hes also logging big minutes comparatively, playing 14:17 in their first game and 15:17 in their second game. Today, the top five prospects for the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to NHL.com. This past year, the Maple Leafs rebounded with five selections over the seven-round draft. Finland will have its sights set on Gold this year. 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. The rearranged World Juniors give everyone a chance to get a dose of hockey this summer, not in the least Toronto Maple Leafs fans wholl have high expectations. World Juniors; Football. Toronto will have prospects representing Team Canada, Team USA, and Team Finland at this years World Junior Championship. I hope all of the Leafs prospects do well in the tournament. To order . His skills have been on full display for the University of Minnesota so far in 2021-22, and his impressive start should be enough to earn him some proper looks in Team USAs top six. He was undrafted but signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an 18 year old after the 2021 NHL draft. Six is a fairly impressive number. It speaks volumes to a United States program that seems to insist upon being insular and looking specifically for college hockey players as opposed to exploring those options that play in Canada. He got selected by Toronto with the #59th overall pick. Alex Hobson is a writer and a radio producer for 610 CKTB. Here is a breakdown of the Maple Leafs prospects at this years tournament: Drafted: 2020 (first round, 15th overall). Hes a dark horse candidate to be a leading scorer for the US at this tournament and if he can finish on his chances like he did his first game, its very much a possibility. This season he is an integral part of the Finland National World Junior U20 team battling for gold in Red Deer, Alberta. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. Now, theres a number of ways of looking at this, especially after the Americans left OHL star Ty Voit off their final roster. Follow on Twitter. Roni Hirvonen is a 2020 second-round pick. The Toronto Maple Leafs 2021 fifth-round (153rd overall) pick has been on fire with the Sarnia Sting this season, with 48 points in 27 games. And while a strong tournament, as each of the Leafs' prospects are expected to have, doesn't. On April 11, 2021, the Maple Leafs moved their 2021 first-round pick, their 2022 fourth-round pick which they eventually got back and their 2021 fourth-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He would have missed the start of training camp. In Finlands seven games, Roni Hirvonen had seven points and Niemela had six points. The 23-year-old, entering the final year of his entry level contract, was loaned to Vaxjo of Sweden's top professional league last season and responded by averaging almost a point per game. Hes got really good offensive instincts., Drafted: 2020 (fourth round, 106th overall). NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. The Kamloops Blazers centre and 2022 Maple Leafs second-round draft pick recently finished a six-hour bus trip . Jul 31, 2021 Team USA will play Slovakia on the first night (December 26th) of the tournament at 9:30 pm ET. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. 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. The playmaking center, who was the MVP of the SHL Playoffs in 2021 with 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 14 games, joined Toronto of the AHL at the end of the 2021-22 season and had four points (two goals, two assists) in six games, impressing Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas in the process. 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Niemela is a 19-year-old defenseman from Oulu Finland and is currently playing for Karpat in Liiga (Finnish Elite League). Where were they traded and when for the Maple Leafs not to have any representatives at this years World Junior Championship? Hes a 19-year-old playing in one of the top leagues in the world. 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. The roster. Lets hope he can pick up his offensive production over the next few games and lets hope Finland can finish in the gold medal game. Good skater. And one day, they believe, they will play together for Toronto. He has a great shot. His motor has been compared to that of former Leaf Zach Hyman, and his play last season was impressive enough to the point where there were talks of him joining the Maple Leafs at the end of the 2021-22 season. Hes working on his defence. He went on to play 15:17 in the 3-2 win over Slovakia. With 16 points in 14 games for the University of Connecticut, Tverbergs development looks to be way ahead of schedule. Looking for him to play more, earn some special teams ice time, become more of a leader as a returning player., Drafted: 2020 (second round, 59th overall). The club . Niemela is a puck-moving defenceman with three assists in nine games for Karpat in Finlands top league. With the World Junior Championship in the rearview mirror, here's a look at 10 prospects making noise as of late. Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. Leading the OHL in goals per game might be enough to at least get him a look. Steeves was 2nd in the NCAA in primary even-strength points with 20, including 13 of his 15 goals. Akhtyamov is no slouch, though. All Rights Reserved. Like his good friend Niemela, he's not the biggest player (5-9, 164) but has good leadership qualities and served as Finland's captain at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, where he had seven points (three goals, four assists) in seven games. . I think hell earn ice time., Drafted: 2020 (third round, 64th overall). The move was to acquire Nick Foligno and Stefan Noesen for a run in the playoffs. Also as predicted, Hirvonen has been a key player for Finland as well. The 10 Best NHL Players From the 2013 World Juniors Its the luck of the draw. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. The Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers hit the ice in NHL play at Ball Arena on Tuesday, January 10 at 9:30 PM ET. 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). to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about They selected him with the #64th overall pick. Now, surely we cant pretend to assume Thompson wouldve been a World Junior star, but the fact is the Maple Leafs moved another top three-round pick for a mediocre acquisition. He also makes weekly appearances on THWs Maple Leafs Lounge Roundtable. We create the lists without any biases toward country or nationality. 553 Four of the six Maple Leafs prospects competing at the 2021 World Junior Championship were in action on Christmas, kicking off the tournament in Edmonton. Should the Toronto Maple Leafs hang onto their first-round pick in the 2023 Draft, they'll select a very talented player. rights reserved. But knock Dubas all you want, his draft classes since he took over GM duties look promising, and should be given a chance to flower before the abilities of him and his scouting team are questioned. Also like Niemela, it hasnt resulted in much success on the score sheet. The 2023 edition of the World Junior U20 Championship to this point has gone off without a hitch that is, aside from the handful of upsets that have seemingly overtaken the group stages early on. He can make some plays. Theyve known each other since they were kids. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. There would have been one more, American Nick Robertson, but the Leafs decided to keep the 19-year-old in Toronto to prepare for the upcoming NHL season, with training camp opening Jan. 3. He finished last season with 21 points in 54 games for Assat of the same league, and hes on pace to crush his career high, so it would appear switching teams was the best thing for the Maple Leafs 2020 second round pick. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Roni Hirvonen came up with a big performance to help his team pick up a win in their first game at the 2022 World Junior Championship. Roni Hirvonen puts Finland ahead 3-2 with just 23.3 seconds to go. The Americans finished undefeated in their group after they hung on . Despite winning both contests, its been slightly underwhelming for our pair of Fins after two games: As predicted, Niemela has been a key player for Finland at this tournament so far. Some teams fear Russian players will choose to play in the lucrative KHL. 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.. The Toronto Maple Leafs were one of two teams without any representation at the 2023 World Junior Championship, with the Pittsburgh Penguins being the other. His OHL lead in scoring had shrunk to 4 points with Pavel Mintyukov on his heels. Hirvonen is five-foot-nine, an inch shorter than Granlund, but a terrific playmaker with a high hockey IQ. The Markham, Ont., native had a goal and an assist to hit the 500-point mark in the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Finland's Roni Hirvonen (22) is stopped by Latvia goalie Bruno Bruveris (30) in a world juniors game Tuesday. 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. This is the most exciting time of the year for everyone that loves hockey.. MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 08: Fraser Minten is selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs during Round Two of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 08, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. Difficult cuts. A prospect could go from a projected third-round pick to a second-round selection. Lets hope this doesnt derail USAs tournament as theyre poised to really make some noise and defend their gold medal from last year. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Ty Voit has somehow been overlooked when it comes to the USA World Juniors camp. Those two names will both be appearing for Finland, both likely in high-profile roles, with Topi Niemel likely one of their top-pairing defensemen and Roni Hirvonen likely to be on the wing in the top-six as they open against Latvia. (Stats from eliteprospects.com). All But on top of the tenacity and physical play Hyman has, Knies also has a very good shot. Ovchinnikov was one of the stories of Toronto's prospect pool last year, putting up a massive season in the MHL with 20 goals and 31 assists in just 40 games. His combination of size and skill make him an integral part of the team, and theres no doubt in my mind that hell be utilized as such. 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. December is here, which means the World Junior Championship is soon approaching. Thanks . He competed (in the world juniors) last year. Again, this could easily change over the coming games and for the Finnish teams fortunes, lets hope it does. Firstly, the Maple Leafs were so close to having a prospect in the tournament had Voit been considered for the U.S. team. Lots of skill on the ice, Pennanen said. Lilley says: He just doesnt make a lot of mistakes. World Juniors 2020: Breakdown of every NHL teams' prospects | Sporting News Canada MIN DAL 12:00p -154 ANA WIN 12:00p -256 DET CBJ 3:00p SJ BUF 4:00p CHI NYI 4:30p VGS BOS Mon, 4:00p COL PHI Mon,. That said, the Maple Leafs do have five picks in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft and have yet to move their first-round pick. Lilley says: Hes a steady guy. 72. With the departures of Lundell and Winnipeg Jets prospect Ville Heinola, who served as captain last year, Hirvonen will have some extra responsibility. Jan 10, 2023. (Statistics as of. If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. There would have been another with the. Hes the captain in Victoriaville this year, which for us is a step in the development department to not only be a good player on your team but then take that next step to be a leader. The Toronto Maple Leafs have a few prospects eligible to play in the 2023 World Junior Championships which will take place in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Moncton, New Brunswick starting on. He definitely deserves an invite to camp, but if he doesnt make the team this year, hes eligible for the 2024 tournament as well. He covers the Toronto Maple Leafs, World Juniors, and the NHL Entry Draft, and is also part of the Sticks in the 6ix Podcast, presented by THW. The 18-year-old has five goals and four assists in 21 games for Assat in Finlands top league. Knies, Niemela, and Robertson all look like they could become regular NHLers someday, and the rest of the prospects I listed certainly dont lack potential. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. 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. He's played primarily in the VHL for Ak Bars, where he has a .910 sv% in. in trade talks for the past few years in Toronto, but given his modified no-trade clause . Take a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects that are representing their respective nations at the 2015 World Junior Hockey Championship in Montreal and Toronto. Topi Niemela got drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round of the 2020 NHL draft. 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Hirvonen has been a key player for Finland as well prospects representing Team,. Will have its sights set on gold this year ahead 3-2 with just 23.3 seconds to.... Third-Round pick to a second-round selection pick recently finished a six-hour bus trip but i think he should another! The first night ( December 26th ) of the Maple Leafs, according to NHL.com part of Finland... Top League do well in the playoffs not to have any representatives at this years World Junior U20 Team for! Team Finland at this years tournament: Drafted: 2020 ( third,! All of the National Hockey League trademarks or copyrights are the property of their respective owners got by. Will likely have a more prominent role on their Team the Maple Leafs do have five picks before Maple! Is his productive season at the University of Connecticut, Tverbergs development looks to be way ahead schedule.