Republication or distribution of this content is 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 . Kind of a good all-around player., Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Nick Robertson will unfortunately have zero impact on the 2022-23 season, as he underwent shoulder surgery, ultimately keeping him out six months. He plays for HIFK in Liiga this season after spending the previous two seasons playing for Assat. The 18-year-old has five goals and four assists in 21 games for Assat in Finlands top league. Toronto will have prospects representing Team Canada, Team USA, and Team Finland at this year's World Junior Championship. Topi Niemela - Finland - The Finnish born defenseman was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs 64th overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images). . The fact he was picked in the second round back at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft points to the Toronto Maple Leafs seeing something in him. He needs more strength. For those players that have not been drafted yet, playing well at a tournament such as this can do wonders for their draft position. Knies has been taking reps on Team USAs second line alongside 2022 draft eligible prospect Logan Cooley and Florida Panthers prospect Mackie Samoskevich. Russia's forward group is also quite strong up the middle. And hes playing well. Fast forward a year, and Knies easily looks like he could have been a first-round pick. They were drafted five picks apart in 2020. Knies will be representing Team USA at the World Junior Championship. As mentioned, Voit didnt even get the call for the American squad, while Knies hit the age of 20 as well and became unavailable to his country for the U20 tournament. Leave a comment below and let me know. Finland will have its sights set on Gold this year. Lilley says: Hes made really good strides. Republication or distribution of this content is Ryan Tverberg is a 2020 seventh-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tony Ferrari takes a deep look at what the team's future looks. rights reserved. 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. 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. Jan 10, 2023. So, How have things been so far? Toronto has 11 prospects eligible to be in the tournament this year, but only the best get selected to represent their country. I also predicted big performances from all three. "We want him to dominate every time he steps on the ice," said Hayley Wickenheiser, the Maple Leafs assistant general manager of player development. Knies had three points in five games. That said, the Maple Leafs do have five picks in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft and have yet to move their first-round pick. This season he is an integral part of the Finland National World Junior U20 team battling for gold in Red Deer, Alberta. If he continues to progress, hell have a better shot at making the team the year. Hirvonen currently has four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 25 games. OHL; QMJHL; WHL . For the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ty Voit certainly looks to be another late-round draft steal; to have a fifth-round pick putting up a projected 121 points (per Elite Prospects) in the OHL certainly speaks to a smart pick. Team USA will be looking to defend their Gold Medal from last year. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. NHL 2022. . If you care about the team with the maple leaf on its jersey, youll be watching Canada at the world junior hockey tournament. 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. 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. The Leafs will have six prospects three with Russia and three with Finland competing at the 2021 world junior hockey championship in Edmonton, starting on Dec. 26. Some players will enjoy great careers, while other highly-touted prospects will fail to meet the lofty expectations. Team Finland will play Germany in the tournaments first game on December 26th at 2 pm ET. This year, Hirvonen will be serving as Finlands captain. World Juniors: Maple Leafs Lack of Prospects a Sign of Sacrifice | Yardbarker The 2023 edition of the World Junior U20 Championship to this point has gone off without a hitch that. Niemela will be defending his title as the top defenseman from last years tournament. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about Taking part in a tournament of this magnitude is huge for every junior player. 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. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. TORONTO Mitch Marner hit yet another milestone on Saturday. 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. Hes the former play-by-play voice of the London Jr. Knights for Rogers TV and currently hosts the Sticks in the 6ix podcast. Where were they traded and when for the Maple Leafs not to have any representatives at this years World Junior Championship? Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Niemela is a puck-moving defenceman with three assists in nine games for Karpat in Finlands top league. He had six points in seven games at last years tournament and helped Finland beat Russia in the Bronze Medal game. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. At this years tournament, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have four prospects taking part. The club . It was really cool.. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. Difficult cuts. World Juniors; Football. Get a bit more ice time than he did last year, and take on a leadership role. Komarov is 5-foot-10 and 213 pounds. After winning every game in the preliminary round, USA was upset by Czechia in the quarter finals while Finland won the silver metal after taking Canada to overtime in the gold medal game. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. 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. 2022 World Junior Championship Team Canada Final Roster, 2022 World Junior Championship Team Finland Final Roster, Capitals Ties With Russia Run Deeper Than Ovechkin, Kings Have Several Options to Replace Edler. This year, there are no Leafs prospects guaranteed a spot in the tournament, but there are a couple with a great chance to represent their countries. Montreal Alouettes; CFL; NFL; . 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. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution 5 Maple Leafs' Prospects Flying Under the Radar January 5, 2023 by Peter Baracchini Compared to the other teams in the league the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect pool isn't as strong. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution And he has improved his game a lot since last year, and especially skating. He would have missed the start of training camp. Both players aged out this time around and werent able to return with Finland to the tournament being held in Moncton and Halifax leaving the hopes of the Maple Leafs having representation at the tournament on the shoulders of their more recent prospects. In his superb oral history, The Toronto Maple Leafs, author Eric Zweig summed up what Bentley meant to the Leafs. With such hype around him and the potential for Knies to be a bit of a wildcard addition to the Toronto Maple Leafs line-up as they near the Stanley Cup Playoffs, its understandable to have eyes on him. So what happened to the picks that couldve been? The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Mike Zeisberger, Stanley Cup Final | Avalanche vs. In the last Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Watch, we took a look at Juuso Valimaki. TLN's 2022-23 Midseason Leafs Prospect Rankings: Prospects 10-6. 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Enter Search Term. As such, perhaps that sort of thinking no longer rings true. Padres sign top catching prospect Salas for $5.6M. Topi Niemela got drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round of the 2020 NHL draft. However, plenty of smaller players are now proving more than competent in the NHL. Its hard to be optimistic about the draft when you sacrifice your picks for assets in hopes of a deep playoff run each year, only to be let down seven games in. 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. "We feel he'll challenge for the roster here.". He has a great shot. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. (stats from Eliteprospects.com). 1 slot for the 2023 draft. Nick Moldenhauer is another long shot to make Team Canada, but he is leading the USHL in goals and is second in points right now with 10 goals and 18 points in 13 games. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. Theyre both skilful and they can make plays, Pennanen said. NHL Prospect Roundup: Toronto Maple Leafs' Joseph Woll is a brick wall. Here's this week's look at some of the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects and how they're doing at the major junior level. The 2023 World Junior Championship begins today with four games: Finland/Switzerland, Sweden/Austria, Latvia/USA, and Czechia/Canada. 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. Oilers Have Made 3 Forwards Available for Trade Who Goes? "I thought within his game, he always had his strong attributes," Toronto AHL coach Greg Moore said. Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner has extended his home point streak to 19 games - a new franchise record - after assisting in the Auston Matthews goal in the second period of the game . Related: 2022 World Junior Championship Team Finland Final Roster. I. Of course, were talking about Matthew Knies, wholl likely be starring in the United States top-six when they kick off their campaign versus Germany. 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.. Who do you agree and disagree with? It was a really good experience, Hirvonen said. Lilley says: Its a 19-year-olds tournament. [Maple Leafs 32 in 32: Season preview | 3 Questions | Fantasy breakdown] 1. 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