(stats from Eliteprospects.com). Six is a fairly impressive number. To order Jan 10, 2023. Here are the top 10 NHL players to come out of the tournament that was won by Team USA 10 years ago. 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. And with fans expected to be back in the buildings, this years festivities will be extra fun to keep tabs on.Team CanadaPlayers to WatchRosterTeam USAPlayers to WatchRosterTeam AustriaPlayers to WatchRosterTeam CzechiaPlayers to WatchRosterTeam FinlandPlayers to WatchRosterTeam GermanyPlayers to WatchRosterTeam LatviaRosterTeam SlovakiaRosterTeam SwedenPlayers to WatchRosterTeam SwitzerlandPlayers to WatchRoster, Guide to the 2022 World Junior Championship, 2022 World Juniors Schedule, Groups, Rosters, Predictions & More, Predictions for the 2022 World Junior Championship, 2022 World Juniors: 2023 Draft-Eligible Players to Watch, 6 Predictions for the 2022 World Junior Championship. Torontos group of prospects include Matthew Knies, Topi Niemela, Roni Hirvonen, and Ryan Tverberg. Akhtyamov is no slouch, though. 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. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onToronto Maple Leafs and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Additionally, he was able to notch roughly a point every second game in the Finnish Liiga also; again despite playing against much older competition. . 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}. Niemela is a puck-moving defenceman with three assists in nine games for Karpat in Finlands top league. 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. Toronto Maple Leafs news fromFanSided Daily, Toronto Maple Leafs Put Streak on the Line vs Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs: Nick Robertson InjuredAgain. Team Finland will play Germany in the tournaments first game on December 26th at 2 pm ET. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. Marat. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about Tikkanen is 6-foot and 200 pounds. Now he's older and will likely have a more prominent role for the team. Thats it so far, hopefully we get answers about the USA team soon and they can play their next game against Sweden on Wednesday at 9:30pm est. He needs to continue to work on his skating and mobility. With Seattle Kraken prospect Matthew Beniers and Calgary Flames prospect Matthew Coronato set to lead the charge for the States, Knies has an opportunity to step into a big secondary role for the United States. If theres any prospect Maple Leafs fans are going to be watching closely this year, its Niemela. NHL Prospect Roundup: Toronto Maple Leafs' Joseph Woll is a brick wall. 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. All Rights Reserved. So the Maple Leafs learned a harsh lesson on Saturday night. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. 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. Related: 2023 Guide to the World Junior Championship. With many players aging out from the 2022 tournament, he will have a good shot at making it this year. We look forward to seeing him in this tournament. Lots of skill on the ice, Pennanen said. Recently named captain of the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL, Abramov has matured as both a scorer and a leader. Hockey Prospect has him . The Toronto Maple Leafs will be keeping a close eye on their four prospects and hoping to see great things. . The 6-foot-3, 205-pound winger had an impressive freshman season for the University of Minnesota, tallying 15 goals and 33 points in 33 games. Toronto will have prospects representing Team Canada, Team USA, and Team Finland at this year's World Junior Championship. Also as predicted, Hirvonen has been a key player for Finland as well. However, lets recap Knies performance so far. 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 content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. He has a very nice shot to go along with some sneaky speed for his size, and a solid physical game as well. 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. 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 December 26th, 2022. He could make his NHL debut following the end of Minnesota's season. Expect him to slot right back into his role on Finlands top line and improve on last years tournament. 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. It was really cool.. Its telling that the Team USA roster has all but completely shunned the CHL (only 2 call-ups play in the CHL). Topi Niemela got drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round of the 2020 NHL draft. 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. Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Knies announced in April he'll be returning to the University of Minnesota, a decision the Maple Leafs fully support. And one day, they believe, they will play together for Toronto. Toronto Maple Leafs: Will Any of These Marlies Make the Jump. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. Noesen played just one game for the Maple Leafs in the regular season and ended up heading to Carolina the following season. Related: 2022 World Junior Championship Team Finland Final Roster. 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. Toronto Maple Leafs After the COVID-19 forced the cancelation of the 2022 World Juniors last winter, the tournament will be restarted on Tuesday in Edmonton, Alberta. Toronto Maple Leafs: What Is Nick Robertson's Role Next Season? Alex Hobson is a writer and a radio producer for 610 CKTB. Here are some 2020/21 highlights from the newest #Leafs prospect, Alex Steeves 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. He also had three assists for the U.S. in the 2022 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in August. NHL.com is providing in-depth prospect analysis for each of its 32 teams from August 8-September 8. The Kamloops Blazers centre and 2022 Maple Leafs second-round draft pick recently finished a six-hour bus trip . (Stats from eliteprospects.com). While a majority of. Again, this could easily change over the coming games and for the Finnish teams fortunes, lets hope it does. Should the Toronto Maple Leafs hang onto their first-round pick in the 2023 Draft, they'll select a very talented player. He provides analysis on the top draft-eligible players, prospects drafted by NHL teams and all other relevant prospect information. What gives Maple Leafs management reason for optimism was the point-per-game pace he put together in the AHL upon his return. All three players have aged out and are ineligible for this years tournament. 84. Good skater. He had six points in seven games at last years tournament and helped Finland beat Russia in the Bronze Medal game. NHL Prospects; World Juniors; Merch Shop; CHL. 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. Theyre both skilful and they can make plays, Pennanen said. 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. Fantasy; Betting; Shows; Schedule; Player News; Starting Goalies; Line Combos; Ad. Some teams fear Russian players will choose to play in the lucrative KHL. Nice addition to the organization, Roni Hirvonens last-minute heroics send through to the #WorldJuniors semifinals. All rights reserved. Toronto Maple Leafs news fromFanSided Daily, time on their penalty kill and on the powerplay, Toronto Maple Leafs seeing something in him, Toronto Maple Leafs Will Send 3 Players to the World Junior Championship, Best Reactions to Harry Caray Hologram Singing 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame', Toronto Maple Leafs and Rodion Amirov's KHL Club Extend Loan. Certainly, in the next one or two seasons, we want to see him make a jump. Watching Knies game, he has a play style similar to that of former Maple Leafs winger Zach Hyman. 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. It was a really good experience, Hirvonen said. Its fair to suggest that the Leafs prospect pool is lacking a star power, but players like knies, Hirvonen and Niemela make it much better than it should be for a team that hasnt picked in the top ten in the last six drafts. The Toronto Maple Leafs may be on hiatus, but some of their prospects are keeping busy at the World Juniors. 553 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. Hes been taking Finlands top pro league by storm this year, so one can only imagine what hell be able to do with a years worth of experience and training under his belt after he was already named the tournaments top defenseman once. 72. In both games hes logged over 21:30, logging 22:11 against Austria even though he took two minor penalties. Interestingly, in both comparisons, we likened him to players who were larger. He has five goals and 17 assists for 22 points in 25 games so far this season. Through two games, Hirvonen hasnt scored a goal and only has one assist to show for his effort. For interview requests or any other inquiries, you can follow Alexs social media pages listed at the bottom of his articles like this one. The Finnish captain had a goal . He's played primarily in the VHL for Ak Bars, where he has a .910 sv% in. And if he impresses early on, he could end up being one of Team USAs go-to players. 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. Tony Ferrari takes a deep look at what the team's future looks. 648 They grabbed notable names like Rodion Amirov in the first round, Roni Hirvonen in the second round and Topi Niemel in the third round. Tverberg getting chosen by Team Canada for the 2022 World Junior Championship was a bit of a surprise. Niemela, who plays for Oulun Karpat of Finlands SM-Liiga, is currently seventh in league scoring with 24 points in 30 games. 7 Reasons Connor McDavid Is the Worlds Best Hockey Player, Avalanche Must Fix Attitude and Power Play Problems, NHL Rumors: Blackhawks, Kraken, Bruins, Canucks, 3 Devils Who Can Join Jack Hughes at the All-Star Game, Red Wings Jake Walman Is Proving His Worth. Jan 2, 2021 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. The hockey world wasn't exactly taken by Zdeno Chara early in his career, either. They were drafted five picks apart in 2020. But the Leafs havent drafted a Canadian in the first round since taking Marner fourth overall in 2015. The tournament starts on December 26th, 2021, and ends with the Gold Medal game on January 5th, 2022. The Maple Leafs' rebuild is off to a good start following the Mike Babcock hiring. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onToronto Maple Leafs and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. But given his style of play, I think hes capable of handling it. "On the ice and off the ice, he wants to know what the best are doing and how they're achieving their fitness standards, for example," Wickenheiser said, "and he really has a plan for himself of where he wants to see himself go. 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. Breaking ankles, scoring goals.Typical Saturday night for @Matthew_Knies pic.twitter.com/3jEZtTDXLl. The 2023 World Junior Championship begins today with four games: Finland/Switzerland, Sweden/Austria, Latvia/USA, and Czechia/Canada. (Hirvonen) can be good on the power player and everything else. 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. Here's this week's look at some of the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects and how they're doing at the major junior level. 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. NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. I. Hes got really good offensive instincts., Drafted: 2020 (fourth round, 106th overall). Here's a look at the prospects and young players the Maple Leafs could offer in a trade deadline swap. Oilers News & Rumors: Kulak, Kane, Campbell, Keith, Brown, Deslauriers, 2022-23 Projections for the 4 Oilers Who Received Qualifying Offers, Montreal Canadiens 2023 Trade Deadline Preview, 3 Potential Trade Destinations for Panthers Sam Bennett, Oilers List of Blue Line Trade Targets Includes Surprising Names, Blackhawks Reichel, Domi, & Kurashevs Line Hints at Bright Future, Lightnings Western Conference Road Trip Will Test Team, Ex-Maple Leaf Ilya Mikheyev & His Season With the Canucks, Devils Depth Key to 2022-23 Playoff Appearance, Blues Contract for Schenn Could Impact OReilly Re-Signing. 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. All three of the Leafs' prospects at the 2022 world juniors are likely to play impactful roles. And hes playing well. Niemela will be defending his title as the top defenseman from last years tournament. And. American Matt Knies is the other. 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. by Hes working on his defence. As such, perhaps that sort of thinking no longer rings true. 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 . He beats you offensively and on defence., Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. . Making his World Juniors debut, Knies opened the scoring in the first period, scoring aone-timer goal on a setup from teammate Logan Cooley. 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. Finland's Roni Hirvonen (22) is stopped by Latvia goalie Bruno Bruveris (30) in a world juniors game Tuesday. 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. The Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers hit the ice in NHL play at Ball Arena on Tuesday, January 10 at 9:30 PM ET.