This is a great opportunity to compare him against his peers, the top players in his own age group. 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. 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 . Giving him the fairest chance to make the Maple Leafs is the ultimate goal.. 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. He is as defensively sound as a teenager can be. 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. There would have been another with the. Its more likely a year away for the 20-year-olds, who are under contract for one more season in the Finnish top league Hirvonen with HIFK Helsinki, Niemel with Karpat. 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 20-year-old is under contract with HIFK in Finland's top professional league but it's still undetermined whether he'll return this season. Finland's Roni Hirvonen (22) is stopped by Latvia goalie Bruno Bruveris (30) in a world juniors game Tuesday. 648 As I mentioned earlier, Maple Leafs 2020 seventh round pick Ryan Tverberg was among the last cuts for Team Canada, which largely had to do with the emergence of Bedard at selection camp. ", How acquired: Selected with No. Lilley says: He just doesnt make a lot of mistakes. . He would have missed the start of training camp. Lilley says: Its a 19-year-olds tournament. He saw time on their penalty kill and on the powerplay, suggesting that he is certainly well-rounded and able to adapt to the different roles, despite his youth and the fact hes playing against men. What gives Maple Leafs management reason for optimism was the point-per-game pace he put together in the AHL upon his return. ", Video: VAN@TOR: Robertson fires home a Nylander feed on rush, How acquired: Selected with No. And hes playing well. FINLAND PULLS AHEAD! Six is a fairly impressive number. 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. Jan 10, 2023. Jul 31, 2021 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 has been writing about sports since 2015 and has been with The Hockey Writers since October of 2020. 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 . As I wrote about the other day, the Toronto Maple Leafs have three. 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. And. 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. 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. in trade talks for the past few years in Toronto, but given his modified no-trade clause . Lilley says: Hes made really good strides. Ty Voit (#96) tallied another 2 assists over the weekend. 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. The lack of picks, which we will get to in a moment, play a large part in the Maple Leafs not having a representative at the World Juniors in 2023. 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. But on top of the tenacity and physical play Hyman has, Knies also has a very good shot. Despite only having three prospects at the World Juniors this year, all three players I mentioned will be worth keeping an eye on as the tournament gets underway in Edmonton and Red Deer. Nick Robertson will not be returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. 1 slot for the 2023 draft. Enter Search Term. "He played exceptionally well for them," Dubas said of Holmberg's brief AHL stint. Hirvonen, what a great player, unbelievable. 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. 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. 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. Matthew Knies, F How. 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. NHL Prospect Roundup: Toronto Maple Leafs' Joseph Woll is a brick wall. I hope all of the Leafs prospects do well in the tournament. 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. Oilers Have Made 3 Forwards Available for Trade Who Goes? 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. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images). (Hirvonen) can be good on the power player and everything else. The World Juniors provides a sneak peek at the next crop of potential NHL stars. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Lilley says: Our expectations for him is were hoping he has a prominent role in the Russian team. 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 . Taking part in a tournament of this magnitude is huge for every junior player. Last time round they found themselves eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Czechia and it wouldnt be entirely surprising to see a similar result this time, especially given the insistence on not picking a squad of best possible options. Follow on Twitter. Marner, selected Thursday to the NHL All-Star . Finland will have its sights set on Gold this year. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. While we all know the health concerns around Amirov, both Hirvonen and Niemel played for their country at the World Junior tournament on multiple occasions with Niemel even being recognized as the tournaments top defenceman in 2021, earning bronze in 2021 and silver at the 2022 tournament. He scored twice, tops among Finnish blueliners. With many players aging out from the 2022 tournament, he will have a good shot at making it this year. 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. Hockey Prospect has him . Nikita Korostolev 11-2-16 | KIT @ SAR | 1G 0A 1P | -1 They selected him with the #64th overall pick. World Juniors; Hockey Canada; Olympics; Euro; . This past year, the Maple Leafs rebounded with five selections over the seven-round draft. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Hes got really good offensive instincts., Drafted: 2020 (fourth round, 106th overall). He went on to play 15:17 in the 3-2 win over Slovakia. 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). What makes Niemelas role even more important is that he was drafted for the advanced defensive instincts he possessed for his age, which makes his newfound offensive ability that much more of a pleasant surprise. 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. And Hirvonen is captain of the Finnish entry at the world junior hockey championship, while Niemel is an alternate captain. Topi Niemela (TOR) scores his first goal of the tournament. American Matt Knies is the other. So, How have things been so far? 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. The Americans finished undefeated in their group after they hung on . Hes a smart player, hes got excellent speed. Go To Comments. To order All Rights Reserved. Now he's older and will likely have a more prominent role for the team. 553 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. Knies will be representing Team USA at the World Junior Championship. Through two games, Hirvonen hasnt scored a goal and only has one assist to show for his effort. 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. Toronto Maple Leafs: High Expectations For Prospects at World Juniors EDMONTON, AB - DECEMBER 26: Joel Mtt #32, Topi Niemel #7 and Roni Hirvonen #22 of Finland celebrate a goal. And while a strong tournament, as each of the Leafs' prospects are expected to have, doesn't. The Kamloops Blazers centre and 2022 Maple Leafs second-round draft pick recently finished a six-hour bus trip . Niemela is a 19-year-old defenseman from Oulu Finland and is currently playing for Karpat in Liiga (Finnish Elite League). Lilley says: Hes a steady guy. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. Before the World Juni0rs was shutdown, Bedard was having a great showing for Canada. They can make a good living and not have to learn a new language or new customs. 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. 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. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. It was awesome to have a good buddy drafted by the same team, and hopefully well get to play there together, said Hirvonen, taken 59th overall in 2020. . His OHL lead in scoring had shrunk to 4 points with Pavel Mintyukov on his heels. Hirvonen is a centre, unafraid to compare his game to that of Mikael Granlund, a 10-year NHLer with Minnesota and Nashville. Among moving other picks in the Mark Giordano trade and the Ilya Lyubushkin trade, maybe the toughest one to swallow came in July 2022.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thehockeywriters_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_9',828,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thehockeywriters_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_10',828,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0_1');.large-mobile-banner-1-multi-828{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. New language or new toronto maple leafs prospects at the world juniors out from the 2022 tournament, he have. 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