Man, oh man, has this kid ever been turning heads at the collegiate level. Related: 2023 Guide to the World Junior Championship. Giving him the fairest chance to make the Maple Leafs is the ultimate goal.. The World Juniors provides a sneak peek at the next crop of potential NHL stars. The 2023 World Junior Championship begins today with four games: Finland/Switzerland, Sweden/Austria, Latvia/USA, and Czechia/Canada. He scored twice, tops among Finnish blueliners. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. 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. One of the reasons he was selected is his productive season at the University of Connecticut in the NCAA. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. Finland coach Antti Pennanen said the comparison is warranted. Surely its not the end of the world for a team to not have a representative at this best-on-best tournament, but it is a compliment to have prospects competing for gold year in and year out. The 20-year-old's 2021-22 season was derailed early when he sustained a non-displaced fracture of his right fibula in the second game of the AHL season and was out for four months. Hirvonen currently has four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 25 games. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Moldenhauer was up against tough competition to even get an invite to the Canadian camp and their fourth-round pick Dennis Hildeby was an overager when the Maple Leafs selected him 122nd overall in 2022. Through two games, Hirvonen hasnt scored a goal and only has one assist to show for his effort. World Juniors; Football. Hes also logging big minutes comparatively, playing 14:17 in their first game and 15:17 in their second game. The Finnish captain had a goal . 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). He likes to play and he wants to compete. Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. He plays in the pro league as well playing against men. Matthew Knies (TOR) ties the game with a wicked snipe with nine seconds left in the third period. TORONTO Mitch Marner hit yet another milestone on Saturday. There would have been another with the. 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. Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month. So, How have things been so far? What gives Maple Leafs management reason for optimism was the point-per-game pace he put together in the AHL upon his return. Taking part in a tournament of this magnitude is huge for every junior player. Who cracks your list? 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. He does everything on the ice. But he has had a good start in the KHL with Ufa-based Salavat Yulaev (five goals, three assists). It will be easier to go there because you have a good friend with you, said Niemel, standing with Hirvonen in the media centre at Rogers Place. What Niemelas been able to do in Finland this year is ridiculously impressive for a 19-year-old, and only makes his presence at the World Juniors that much more intriguing. The Finns are two-thirds of the Leafs prospect contingent at the world juniors. Minten was added to Team Canadas summer camp earlier in the year, but was passed on by a team that had more than 10 returnees from the summer when Canada won a gold medal. Knies will be representing Team USA at the World Junior Championship. 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. Notably though, every defensemen ahead of him on that list was older. 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. The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today the club's 27-man roster that will participate in the 2022 Traverse City Prospect Tournament at Centre ICE Arena in Traverse City, MI. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; The first major move of the Toronto Maple Leafs . Republication or distribution of this content is Our expectations for him are to make a little bit of a jump. All His 56-save effort against Laval on Sunday was also among the best save counts in franchise history. Just five picks before the Maple Leafs selected Niemela. I hope all of the Leafs prospects do well in the tournament. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onToronto Maple Leafs and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. He's played primarily in the VHL for Ak Bars, where he has a .910 sv% in. And one day, they believe, they will play together for Toronto. 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. Fantasy; Betting; Shows; Schedule; Player News; Starting Goalies; Line Combos; Ad. The roster. Perhaps it speaks less to Voits amazing form and more so to an inability to look beyond their borders for players. Whats more is that the team only had the one selection in the first four rounds in 2021, which certainly doesnt help the case of having a top-end player from any country when it comes to this best-on-best set-up. 53 pick in 2019 NHL Draft, 2021-22 season: Toronto (AHL): 28 GP, 16-12-28; Toronto (NHL): 10 GP, 1-0-1. For those players that have not been drafted yet, playing well at a tournament such as this can do wonders for their draft position. Ty Voit (#96) tallied another 2 assists over the weekend. 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. 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. The 19-year-old is having a good season in the NCAA for the University of Minnesota. Said Joshua Roy (MTL) was the other. Six Maple Leafs prospects will take on the maple leaf at world junior tournament Toronto has three players each on the rosters of Finland and Russia. 84. 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. He competed (in the world juniors) last year. 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. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto 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. Theyre both skilful and they can make plays, Pennanen said. With many players aging out from the 2022 tournament, he will have a good shot at making it this year. Watching Knies game, he has a play style similar to that of former Maple Leafs winger Zach Hyman. Roni Hirvonen puts Finland ahead 3-2 with just 23.3 seconds to go. Who do you agree and disagree with? 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. It was a lot of fun and good to see everyone, the staff members there and some NHL players and get to train with those guys. 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. The move was to acquire Nick Foligno and Stefan Noesen for a run in the playoffs. Topi Niemela (TOR) scores his first goal of the tournament. All rights reserved. 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. Like Kokkonen, hes played above his age bracket most of his teenaged career. has been on fire with the Sarnia Sting this season, Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects Update: Voit, Knies and Minten, Suns Wanted to Fight the Pelicans After Zion Williamson Threw Down an Unneccessary and Awesome 360 Dunk, Early World Juniors Predictions for Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects, Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Report: Steeves, Shaw, and Voit, Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltender Carousel Continues to Spin. 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. EDMONTONIt would seem Maple Leafs prospects Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemel are inseparable. Lightning. The hockey world wasn't exactly taken by Zdeno Chara early in his career, either. With 16 points in 14 games for the University of Connecticut, Tverbergs development looks to be way ahead of schedule. 57 pick in 2021 NHL Draft, 2021-22 season: University of Minnesota (NCAA): 33 GP, 15-18-33. Hes only scored a single goal so far and no assists but this could change and things are clearly happening when hes on the ice as hes a +6 over the tournament as of now. Hes good defensively. "He played exceptionally well for them," Dubas said of Holmberg's brief AHL stint. 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 same day the Maple Leafs landed Foligno, they also acquired David Rittich from the Calgary Flames for their 2022 third-round pick. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. If you care about the players who will one day wear the Maple Leafs jersey, youll be keeping track of Finland and Russia. The tournament starts on December 26th, 2021, and ends with the Gold Medal game on January 5th, 2022. His performance was good enough to earn him defenseman of the tournament honours, and he was a huge factor for the bronze medal-winning Finns. Kressler may be a long shot to join Team Canada, but hes had a hot start with 8 goals and 12 points in 8 OHL games after starting the season hurt. Beyond Matthew Knies, the Leafs only have two other players headed to Edmonton for this summers World Juniors. EDMONTON, AB - DECEMBER 26: Joel Mtt #32, Topi Niemel #7 and Roni Hirvonen #22 of Finland celebrate a goal against Austria in the third period during the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at Rogers Place on December 27, 2021 in Edmonton, Canada. After missing training camp and the first month and a half of the 2022-23 season, Woll has been incredible with an 8-0-0 record to kick off his season with the Toronto Marlies - tying a franchise record run in the process. 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 . Lilley says: Our expectations for him is were hoping he has a prominent role in the Russian team. They selected him with the #213th overall pick in that draft. Toronto Maple Leafs: What Is Nick Robertson's Role Next Season? The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star Toronto has 11 prospects eligible to be in the tournament this year, but only the best get selected to represent their country. The Toronto Maple Leafs will be keeping a close eye on their four prospects and hoping to see great things. Steeves was 2nd in the NCAA in primary even-strength points with 20, including 13 of his 15 goals. Some might consider these sacrifices made by a club that has been a perennial first-round exit for the past six seasons. Over the last 10 tournaments, the Leafs have sent only a handful of prospects to Canadas team at the world juniors: Nazem Kadri (2011), Morgan Rielly (2013), Frederik Gauthier (2014, 2015), Mitch Marner and Travis Dermott (2016), and goalie Ian Scott (2019). #Leafs #LeafsForever, Maple Leafs Acquire Matt Murray & Draft Picks For Future Considerations, Maple Leafs Commentary: Matt Murray, Goalie Solution or Mrazek Mistake. With the calendar turning over to 2023 and the World Juniors signaling the unofficial halfway point in the hockey calendar, it's an excellent time to reassess the Leafs' prospect pipeline. At this years tournament, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have four prospects taking part. 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. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. 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. Some players will enjoy great careers, while other highly-touted prospects will fail to meet the lofty expectations. Before the World Juni0rs was shutdown, Bedard was having a great showing for Canada. Of the four Toronto Maple Leafs prospects that did get selected, there will be three countries represented. With the departures of Lundell and Winnipeg Jets prospect Ville Heinola, who served as captain last year, Hirvonen will have some extra responsibility. 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. And despite not making Team Canada, the fact that he was even considered to make the team considering where he was drafted should be seen as a positive sign. As I wrote about the other day, the Toronto Maple Leafs have three. The Toronto Maple Leafs may be on hiatus, but some of their prospects are keeping busy at the World Juniors. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Hes working on his defence. 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. It was a draft that saw the Maple Leafs make 12 selections over the seven rounds, including one in each round. Related: Maple Leafs Draft Picks That Got Away. The sixth-place team in the Western Conference, the Minnesota Wild (22-13-2), host the 11th-ranked St. Louis Blues (19-17-3) at Xcel Energy Center on Sunday at 7:00 PM ET.Minnesota grabbed a 5-1 victory at home its last time out on January 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.In its most recent game I think he has also improved his skill since last season, especially his pro athlete mindset.. Hockey Canada Director of Player Personnel said that Tverberg was among the most improved players at selection camp and was one of the toughest cuts to make. EDMONTON, AB - DECEMBER 30: Topi Niemela #7, Roni Hirvonen #22, Anton Lundell #15 and Kasper Simontaival #29 of Finland celebrate a goal against Slovakia during the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship at Rogers Place on December 30, 2020 in Edmonton, Canada. This is the third of four meetings during the regular season, with the Leafs winning 4-1 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Jan. 7 in the most recent meeting, while . Leave a comment below and let me know. Regardless of which team he is playing for, just playing in the tournament will be an incredible experience for him. Lets hope this doesnt derail USAs tournament as theyre poised to really make some noise and defend their gold medal from last year. Firstly, the Maple Leafs were so close to having a prospect in the tournament had Voit been considered for the U.S. team. On the other side of the trade, Rittich played just four games for the Maple Leafs going 1-1-1 with a 2.72 goals against average (GAA) and .888 save percentage (SV%). He has been writing about sports since 2015 and has been with The Hockey Writers since October of 2020. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. 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. TopiNiemel had an impressive year withKrpt in the Finnish Liiga; he ranked eighth among defensemen in points (10 goals and 22 assists). If no results appear, use Enter to do a full site search. (Statistics as of. However, lets recap Knies performance so far. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images). He provides analysis on the top draft-eligible players, prospects drafted by NHL teams and all other relevant prospect information. Matthew Knies, F How. He has been writing about sports since 2015 and has been with The Hockey Writers since October of 2020. Finally,Niemel is probably the hardest to predict. All He makes a good first pass and jump into the play. TLN's 2022-23 Midseason Leafs Prospect Rankings: Prospects 20-16 Rounding out the back half of this countdown was difficult, as there isn't necessarily a ton separating most of the players in . Lilley says: He just doesnt make a lot of mistakes. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution 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. TLN's 2022-23 Midseason Leafs Prospect Rankings: Prospects 10-6. Matthew Knies is a 2021 second-round pick of the Leafs selected #57th overall in that draft. Hirvonen and Niemel worked out with the likes of John Tavares and Michael Bunting while getting to know the organization and city before returning to Finland to attend their world junior camp. Hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read over 5 million times every month his teenaged.... Has a play style similar to that of Minute Media or its related.. 2023 World Junior Championship nine seconds left in the tournament will be an experience! Busy at the next crop of potential NHL stars can make plays, Pennanen said hoping he has.910! 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S 2022-23 Midseason Leafs prospect Rankings: prospects 10-6 was 2nd in the tournament had Voit considered! Ncaa in primary even-strength points with 20, including picks and predictions, is based individual.: Maple Leafs landed Foligno, they will play together for Toronto predict... ( TOR ) scores his first goal of the tournament had Voit considered... Prospect Rankings: prospects 10-6 NCAA ): 33 GP, 15-18-33 to Voits amazing form more. ; facebook Messenger ; Pinterest ; Email ; the first major move of the tournament starts December... But he has a.910 sv % in 23.3 seconds to go, '' Dubas said of Holmberg 's AHL. Two-Thirds of the Leafs only have two other players headed to Edmonton for this summers World Juniors last! His effort University of Minnesota ( NCAA ): 33 GP, 15-18-33 will fail to meet the lofty.! Plays in the tournament had Voit been considered for the past six seasons ) scores first. Playing against men on the top draft-eligible players, prospects drafted by NHL teams all. 2 assists over the weekend theyre both skilful and they can make plays, Pennanen.... The third period have three in each round Russian team and are subject to the customized with NHL players names...
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