Similar to the Oilers and Jets, the best young players in the Toronto Maple Leafs system are already having success at the NHL level.
Fortunately for Maple Leafs fans, it appears that’s just the tip of the iceberg with many of Toronto’s other prospects thriving at various stages of their development in various leagues around the globe.
Kasperi Kapanen, who was chugging along at a point-per-game pace, has been out with an injury since Jan. 13. Brendan Leipsic has been on the shelf since Jan. 22. Neither player was able to participate in the AHL All-Star Game. Despite their absence from the Marlies lineup, the team has won 12 of 16 games without them. This only proves that Kapanen and Leipsic, both of whom figure to be key pieces for the Maple Leafs in the long-term, are by no means the only youngsters in the pipeline to get excited about.
Here’s a look at some of the franchise’s other notable prospects have been up to lately:
AHL
Seth Griffith, 24, RW
Drafted: Fifth round, 131st overall, 2012 (Boston)
Season to date: 18 GP | 4 G | 17 A | 21 P | 18 PIM | plus-5
It has been an interesting 2016-17 campaign for Griffith. The Wallaceburg, Ont., native was claimed off waivers from the Bruins on Oct. 11 and began the season with the Maple Leafs. After just three games in which he averaged less than 10 minutes of ice time and only registered three total shots, he was waived and claimed by the Florida Panthers. Two months and 21 NHL games later he was waived by Florida and Toronto management decided to give him a second chance. So far so good on his second go-around as Griffith has been a boon to the Marlies.
Andreas Johnson, 22, LW
Drafted: Seventh round, 202nd overall, 2013 (Toronto)
Season to date: 56 GP | 17 G | 16 A | 33 P | 36 PIM | plus-7
The Swede went on a serious hot streak in February thus softening the blow of losing Kapanen and Leipsic. With 15 points in his past 12 games he has stepped up his game significantly. He buried twice Friday against the Binghamton Senators and added another against the Hershey Bears Saturday.
Dmytro Timashov, 20, LW
Drafted: Fifth round, 125th overall, 2015 (Toronto)
Season to date: 49 GP | 11 G | 10 A | 21 P | 28 PIM | minus-2
Another late-round pick with upside, the Ukrainian rookie has five goals in February and, as you can see from the goal below, he displays solid awareness and aggression with the man advantage.
Andrew Nielsen, 20, D
Drafted: Third round, 65th overall, 2015 (Toronto)
Season to date: 54 GP | 11 G | 21 A | 32 P | 57 PIM | even +/-
Only one AHL rookie defenceman (Kyle Wood of the Tuscon Roadrunners) has more points than Nielsen. At times he can be undisciplined and is averse to staying out of the penalty box, but the former Lethbridge Hurricanes star also has a great shot and solid vision from the point. Nielsen doesn’t get the same shine as a name player like Kapanen–the main piece the Maple Leafs got in return for Phil Kessel–but from a long-term development perspective he might just be the most promising prospect currently in the system. Playing beside Frank Corrado, who is more sound defensively, helps Nielsen’s growth.
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CHL
Adam Brooks, 20, C
Drafted: Fourth round, 92nd overall, 2016 (Toronto)
Season to date: 54 GP | 33 G | 68 A | 101 P | 53 PIM | plus-35
“I’m a pass-first guy. I like to use my teammates as best I can,” Brooks recently told the Regina Leader-Post.
An astute observation from the Winnipeg native who is tied for the WHL lead in assists and in the midst of a career year in his fifth season with the Regina Pats. His teammate Sam Steel is the only player in the WHL with more points.
It shows you what kind of season the Pats captain is having when the impressive 1.57 points per game he’s averaging through 26 contests in the calendar year is actually lower than his season average of 1.87 points per game.
Jeremy Bracco, 19, RW
Drafted: Second round, 61st overall, 2015 (Toronto)
Season to date: 47 GP | 22 G | 46 A | 68 P | 6 PIM | plus-10
With some of the best hands in all of junior hockey, Bracco’s skill set should, in theory, mesh beautifully with the young Maple Leafs roster as early as next season.
Bracco played a vital role in the gold medal Team USA won at the world juniors, however his production has dipped significantly since being traded from the Kitchener Rangers to the Windsor Spitfires in early January.
Martins Dzierkals, 19, RW
Drafted: Third round, 68th overall, 2015 (Toronto)
Season to date: 37 GP | 17 G | 23 A | 40 P | 36 PIM | plus-16
Dzierkals was banged up for most of December and January but was healthy enough to get an early taste of life at the Air Canada Centre during his time with Team Latvia at the world juniors. The speedy Rouyn-Noranda Huskies forward has had a few quality outings in February, highlighted by a four-point night in an 8-4 win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.
USHL / NCAA
Joseph Woll, 18, G
Drafted: Third round, 62nd overall, 2016 (Toronto)
Season to date: 30 GP | 14-12-3 | 2.66 GAA | .912 SP
Woll is just the fourth netminder the Maple Leafs have drafted since selecting Tuukka Rask and James Reimer in 2005 and 2006, respectively, while the other three–Grant Rollheiser, plus Marlies Garret Sparks and Antoine Bibeau–have yet to make a mark in the NHL.
The American is several years away from even being ready for the AHL but overall he’s enjoying success in his freshman season at Boston College, despite recent struggles. Woll has gone 0-5-2 in his past seven games and in the last five weeks his goals-against average has ballooned from 2.32 to 2.66 and his save percentage fell from .925 to .912.
OVERSEAS
Carl Grundstrom, 19, RW
Drafted: Second round, 57th overall, 2016 (Toronto)
Season to date: 40 GP | 12 G | 5 A | 16 P | 4 PIM | plus-5
Grundstrom’s offensive ability was on display as a member of Sweden’s top line with Alexander Nylander and Joel Eriksson Ek at the WJC. His forechecking ability is one of his strong suits, which should put him in Mike Babcock’s good books one day, yet he has been snakebitten since returning to Frolunda after representing his country. He has scored just once the past 16 games.
Yegor Korshkov, 20, RW
Drafted: Second round, 31st overall, 2016 (Toronto)
Season to date: 36 GP | 6 G | 13 A | 19 P | 24 PIM | plus-2
Korshkov recently returned to the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv lineup after breaking his leg on this nasty hip check from Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg defenceman Dmitry Megalinsky.
Korshkov has been relatively quiet since coming back, scoring one goal while averaging fewer than 11 minutes per game in the post-season. His team got off to a hot start in the KHL playoffs against HC Dinamo Minsk. According to his agent, Korshkov won’t be coming over to North America for at least another year.
