Knies announced in April he'll be returning to the University of Minnesota, a decision the Maple Leafs fully support. His 56-save effort against Laval on Sunday was also among the best save counts in franchise history. Beyond Matthew Knies, the Leafs only have two other players headed to Edmonton for this summers World Juniors. To order (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images). Hirvonen is five-foot-nine, an inch shorter than Granlund, but a terrific playmaker with a high hockey IQ. Before the World Juni0rs was shutdown, Bedard was having a great showing for Canada. 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.. For starters, the 2021-22 campaign saw the Phoenix, Arizona native suit up for Team USA at the 2022 World Junior Hockey . He also had three assists for the U.S. in the 2022 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in August. The roster. 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. It was announced this week that a pair of Leafs prospects, Matthew Knies and Ryan Tverberg, will compete for spots on their respective World Juniors teams. They can make a good living and not have to learn a new language or new customs. 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. Welcome to NHL.com, the official site of the National Hockey League, Bienvenue LNH.com , le site officiel de la Ligue nationale de hockey, Tervetuloa NHL:n viralliselle nettisivustolle NHL.comiin, Vlkommen till NHL.com, NHL:s officiella web-sida, Vtejte na NHL.com, oficilnch strnkch National Hockey League, Vitajte na NHL.com, oficilnych strnkach National Hockey League, Willkommen auf NHL.com, der offiziellen Seite der National Hockey League, Bienvenido a NHL.com, el sitio oficial de la National Hockey League. NHL Prospects; World Juniors; Merch Shop; CHL. Ryan Tverberg is a 2020 seventh-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs. 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. in trade talks for the past few years in Toronto, but given his modified no-trade clause . Matthew Knies is seemingly the most likely to make the Leafs in the short-term, but that doesnt mean thatNiemel and Hirvonen cant aspire to making the NHL. 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. #Leafs #LeafsForever, Maple Leafs Acquire Matt Murray & Draft Picks For Future Considerations, Maple Leafs Commentary: Matt Murray, Goalie Solution or Mrazek Mistake. Additionally, he was able to notch roughly a point every second game in the Finnish Liiga also; again despite playing against much older competition. He was undrafted but signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an 18 year old after the 2021 NHL draft. And one day, they believe, they will play together for Toronto. The Toronto Maple Leafs may be on hiatus, but some of their prospects are keeping busy at the World Juniors. Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. 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. 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. 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. He can make some plays. Matthew Knies was expected to. Hirvonen has had a great season to date with HIFK of Finlands SM-Liiga, with 18 points through 26 games thus far. 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. Niemela will be defending his title as the top defenseman from last years tournament. But theres still time for that to change. The Toronto Maple Leafs may be on hiatus, but some of their prospects are keeping busy at the World Juniors. 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 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. If he continues to progress, hell have a better shot at making the team the year. He had six points in seven games at last years tournament and helped Finland beat Russia in the Bronze Medal game. Tikkanen is 6-foot and 200 pounds. Finally,Niemel is probably the hardest to predict. He currently has seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in 16 games. I think he has also improved his skill since last season, especially his pro athlete mindset.. In fact, with Justin Holls deal expiring this coming summer, there is certainly going to be places up for grab on that side of the Toronto Maple Leafs defense. Again, this could easily change over the coming games and for the Finnish teams fortunes, lets hope it does. However, plenty of smaller players are now proving more than competent in the NHL. Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. So the Maple Leafs learned a harsh lesson on Saturday night. 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. The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star You can follow him on Twitter at @AndrewGForbes. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. December is here, which means the World Junior Championship is soon approaching. Relatively unknown to the Leafs fan base, Amirov was a surprise pick. 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. And Hirvonen is captain of the Finnish entry at the world junior hockey championship, while Niemel is an alternate captain. Its telling that the Team USA roster has all but completely shunned the CHL (only 2 call-ups play in the CHL). . The Finnish national team picked. I hope all of the Leafs prospects do well in the tournament. Here are some 2020/21 highlights from the newest #Leafs prospect, Alex Steeves This year, Hirvonen will be serving as Finlands captain. 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. In the last Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Watch, we took a look at Juuso Valimaki. And if he impresses early on, he could end up being one of Team USAs go-to players. Related: Maple Leafs Draft Picks That Got Away. Kokkonen has been regular on Finlands national junior teams since he was 15, playing above his age bracket and appearing in the world juniors last year at 18. His OHL lead in scoring had shrunk to 4 points with Pavel Mintyukov on his heels. Braeden Kressler is an interesting prospect. Hes 18 but I think he should be another guy that plays a pretty prominent role on their team. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. But he has had a good start in the KHL with Ufa-based Salavat Yulaev (five goals, three assists). 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. One of the reasons he was selected is his productive season at the University of Connecticut in the NCAA. 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. Kind of a good all-around player., Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. If you care about the players who will one day wear the Maple Leafs jersey, youll be keeping track of Finland and Russia. Knies has been taking reps on Team USAs second line alongside 2022 draft eligible prospect Logan Cooley and Florida Panthers prospect Mackie Samoskevich. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. 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. What do you think of my list? They grabbed notable names like Rodion Amirov in the first round, Roni Hirvonen in the second round and Topi Niemel in the third round. 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. Toronto will have prospects representing Team Canada, Team USA, and Team Finland at this years World Junior Championship. . If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Here are the top 10 NHL players to come out of the tournament that was won by Team USA 10 years ago. Toronto Maple Leafs news fromFanSided Daily, Toronto Maple Leafs Put Streak on the Line vs Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs: Nick Robertson InjuredAgain. Man, oh man, has this kid ever been turning heads at the collegiate level. Lilley says: Hes made really good strides. 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 got selected by Toronto with the #59th overall pick. They were drafted five picks apart in 2020. 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. The team took Matthew Knies in the second round, 57th overall, before selecting Voit at 153rd overall in the fifth round and Vyacheslav Peksa at 185th overall in the sixth round. Hirvonen currently has four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 25 games. 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. Six is a fairly impressive number. 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. 159 pick in 2018 NHL Draft, 2021-22 season: Vaxjo (SHL): 46 GP, 11-30-41; Toronto (AHL): 6 GP, 2-2-4. Team USA will be looking to defend their Gold Medal from last year. 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. The hockey world wasn't exactly taken by Zdeno Chara early in his career, either. And he has improved his game a lot since last year, and especially skating. 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. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Hes got really good offensive instincts., Drafted: 2020 (fourth round, 106th overall). It was really cool.. 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. Absolutely, Ty Voit is undersized and may never be a regular NHL player with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a result. Topi Niemela got drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round of the 2020 NHL draft. Auston Matthews, Calle Jarnkrok, Conor Timmins, Zach Aston-Reese and Timothy Liljegren also scored for Toronto, which swept its three-game season series with the Flyers. 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. Roni Hirvonen is a 2020 second-round pick. If theres any prospect Maple Leafs fans are going to be watching closely this year, its Niemela. Lots of skill on the ice, Pennanen said. Toronto Maple Leafs: What Is Nick Robertson's Role Next Season? TopiNiemel had an impressive year withKrpt in the Finnish Liiga; he ranked eighth among defensemen in points (10 goals and 22 assists). He scored twice, tops among Finnish blueliners. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about Nice addition to the organization, Roni Hirvonens last-minute heroics send through to the #WorldJuniors semifinals. The Maple Leafs' rebuild is off to a good start following the Mike Babcock hiring. Heres a look at the sacrifices made. With the World Junior Championship in the rearview mirror, here's a look at 10 prospects making noise as of late. 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. Torontos group of prospects include Matthew Knies, Topi Niemela, Roni Hirvonen, and Ryan Tverberg. Lets hope this doesnt derail USAs tournament as theyre poised to really make some noise and defend their gold medal from last year. Use arrows to navigate between autocomplete results. 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Matthew Knies, F How. 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%). 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. Hes had a good start to the season., Drafted: 2019 (third round, 84th overall). Jan 2, 2021 (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images). In both games hes logged over 21:30, logging 22:11 against Austria even though he took two minor penalties. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Interestingly, in both comparisons, we likened him to players who were larger. Hes the former play-by-play voice of the London Jr. Knights for Rogers TV and currently hosts the Sticks in the 6ix podcast. Whatever the state of affairs within the United States hockey program, its a massive oversight to leave Ty Voit out. Enter Search Term. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about 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. 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. Or, you could see it from the standpoint that the Maple Leafs lack of representation comes from their lack of draft picks over the past few years at least in the first three rounds. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. 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. 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. 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 . 64 pick in 2020 NHL Draft, 2021-22 season: Karpat (Liiga): 48 GP, 10-22-32. Related: 2023 Guide to the World Junior Championship. (Stats from eliteprospects.com). 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 . There would have been another with the. Good skater. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Republication or distribution of this content is But on top of the tenacity and physical play Hyman has, Knies also has a very good shot. Notably though, every defensemen ahead of him on that list was older. But they did venture over earlier in the summer, a week before other prospects had their development camp. Expect him to slot right back into his role on Finlands top line and improve on last years tournament. Regardless of which team he is playing for, just playing in the tournament will be an incredible experience for him. The move was to acquire Nick Foligno and Stefan Noesen for a run in the playoffs. permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. He would have missed the start of training camp. 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. ", How acquired: Selected with No. Fraser Minten was a late cut from last summers makeup tournament after getting an invite to Canadas camp. He led the Tigers in scoring with 76 points, including 35 goals, in 63 games last year, and has four goals and 10 assists in nine games this season. This is the most exciting time of the year for everyone that loves hockey.. That interested fans were more focused on the 2023 draft eligibles with the hopes of getting an early glimpse at some of the names the Leafs may target this June. Matthew Knies out of the University of Minnesota gets the ball rolling as Toronto's first untouchable prospect. They selected him with the #213th overall pick in that draft. Go To Comments. Lilley says: Hes a steady guy. All rights reserved. Ty Voit (#96) tallied another 2 assists over the weekend. (stats from Eliteprospects.com). Toronto Maple Leafs 153rd overall selection, Forward Ty Voit #96 of the Sarnia Sting (Photo by Dennis Pajot/Getty Images).
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