Welcome back for another year of the Leafs Prospect Roundup, a regular feature here at The Leafs Nation, where we will be keeping tabs on all the youngsters in the Leafs’ system. The NHL schedule has just gotten underway for real, but plenty of other leagues around the world kicked off their seasons in recent weeks, with prospects looking to make their mark and elevate their status for their respective clubs.
This week’s edition of the Leafs Prospect Roundup will serve as something of a primer for the rest of the season, catching up with every notable player in the organization’s pipeline and laying out expectations for the 2024-25 campaign.
Easton Cowan | W | London (OHL)
After a dominant season in the OHL that saw him take home regular season and playoff MVP honours, expectations for Cowan were high coming into his second NHL training camp. With the abundance of bodies fighting for spots up front, it was always going to be an uphill battle for the Leafs’ 2023 first-rounder to crack the opening night roster, and he was returned to the London Knights when final cuts came down. Cowan showed flashes of his tantalizing offensive skillset throughout the preseason, but he wasn’t as consistently noticeable or impactful as he was in his first NHL camp.
There is little left to prove for Cowan at the junior level, but that doesn’t mean another season leading the way for the Knights is a bad thing. One could argue that junior isn’t the best place to eradicate some of the junior habits that remain a part of his game, but Cowan is a driven individual who is fresh off of an up close and personal look at what it takes to stick in the NHL, and the expectation is that he will continue to refine his game in hopes of cracking the roster next fall. Returning to the OHL will also afford Cowan another opportunity to represent Canada at the World Juniors, and he figures to play a prominent role for a team in search of redemption after a disappointing showing a year ago. In the meantime, Cowan is off to another good start for the Knights, with two goals and two assists in three games since rejoining the club.
Easton Cowan doing Easton Cowan things 🤠@MapleLeafs | #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/laVtPWES66
— London Knights (@LondonKnights) October 12, 2024
Fraser Minten | C | Toronto (NHL/AHL)
Minten also looked primed to push for a spot on the Leafs’ opening night roster before he was sent into the boards awkwardly and suffered a high-ankle sprain in a Prospect Showcase game prior to main camp. Before going down with an injury, Minten was arguably the best player on the ice in the two games against Montreal’s top prospects.
Given the fact that Minten made the Leafs out of camp last year and got into four games before being returned to junior, he likely would have been knocking on the door once again had he been able to participate in training camp and preseason games. He is still expected to be on the shelf for a few weeks, and it will surely take some time with the Marlies to get his feet under him once he is healthy, but the Leafs’ depth chart down the middle is far from settled with Pontus Holmberg getting the first look as the pivot on Toronto’s third line. Minten should step right into a key role for the Marlies when he returns to game action, and a strong start to his AHL career could land him in the call-up conversation before long.
Ben Danford | RHD | Oshawa (OHL)
The Leafs’ 2024 first-round pick didn’t even make it to the Prospect Showcase, never mind Leafs camp, before an injury derailed his ramp-up to the season. Danford suffered a concussion during Toronto’s rookie camp that kept him off the ice through the rest of the preseason, but he has since been cleared to play and loaned back to Oshawa in the OHL.
Upon his return, the Generals made Danford their captain after he wore an ‘A’ during his draft year. Lauded for his refined defensive game, hardnosed style of play, and leadership abilities, Danford will be tasked with leading a strong Oshawa team back to the promised land after they came up short against Cowan and the London Knights in the OHL final last spring. With his defensive ability and skating providing a relatively safe floor as an NHL prospect, the focus for Danford this season will be adding to his offensive tool kit and becoming more of a threat from the back end. He’s at least a couple of years away from being considered as a viable NHL option, but he feels like a pretty safe bet to get there.
Topi Niemelä | RHD | Toronto (AHL)
Niemelä had a strong first season in North America in 2023-24, leading the Marlies blue line with eight goals and 31 points while handling heavy minutes through 68 games. He carried that momentum into Toronto’s rookie camp and the Prospect Showcase, where he controlled the game from the back end with poise and confidence, racking up five assists through two games against the Canadiens’ prospects.
Niemelä’s momentum was halted once Leafs training camp rolled around, however, and he seemed to get lost in the shuffle with players like Phillippe Myers, Marshall Rifai, Cade Webber, and Nicolas Mattinen getting an extended look through the preseason. His lone appearance in the preseason came in the Leafs’ second-last game of the exhibition schedule, manning the point on the top power play unit for the evening. Between Brad Treliving in the front office and Craig Berube behind the bench, the new regime’s affinity for big, heavy blue liners has been clear, and at 6’0″ and 181 pounds, Niemelä came up with the short end of the stick in camp despite an impressive rookie season in the AHL.
It is somewhat concerning that a player who is widely considered to be a quality NHL prospect wasn’t given more opportunity to begin his age-22 season, but the players who seemed to knock him down the depth chart are all more of the third-pairing, stay-at-home types who may have been competing for one specific role. Niemelä should still be expected to play big minutes and quarterback the power play for the Marlies this season, and his potential will be difficult to ignore if he is able to build off of last season.
Nikita Grebenkin | W | Toronto (AHL)
Coming off a pair of impressive seasons in Russia that saw him add a KHL Rookie of the Year award and a Gagarin Cup to his trophy case, Grebenkin has made a strong impression in the leadup to his first season in North America. He looked like a seasoned pro in his one game during the Prospect Showcase in Montreal and earned plenty of praise from Berube during his first NHL training camp. Grebenkin showed off his vision and strength along the boards through a handful of exhibition games and even got the crowd going after dropping the gloves with Adam Gaudette in a game against the Sens. Grebenkin has “fan favourite” written all over him, and he’s already become a favourite of the Leafs’ new coach, on and off the ice.
Who did Berube learn about during the #Leafs getaway? Grebenkin. “One funny guy. He’s quite a character. He’s got a real bright future in this league. He’s close. Really enjoyed being around him.”
— Terry Koshan 🇺🇦 (@koshtorontosun) October 2, 2024
Grebenkin will begin his North American career in the AHL with the Marlies, and he looks to be slotted into their middle six to start the season. The Leafs’ forward group features plenty of depth ahead of the young Russian for the time being, but a strong start in the minors could earn him an NHL audition if injuries or potential trades clear the way.
Dennis Hildeby | G | Toronto (AHL)
Hildeby established himself as a high-end goaltending prospect during his first AHL season in 2023-24, finishing the season with a 2.41 GAA and a .913 SV% in 41 games. He spent a good portion of the season on the Leafs’ roster, serving as the backup while Joseph Woll was injured and Ilya Samsonov was floundering, but he never got into a game.
Hildeby impressed during the preseason, looking like a goaltender ready to handle spot duty in the NHL, and his opportunity came sooner than many expected. Woll was placed on injured reserve on the opening day of the season, and somewhat surprisingly, Hildeby was recalled to back up Anthony Stolarz in favour of veteran Matt Murray. Unlike last year when the Leafs’ coaching staff were reluctant to put Hildeby into a game, Craig Berube gave him the start in the second half of a back-to-back to start the season. The towering Swedish netminder rewarded that faith, earning his first career win and the first win of the Berube era, stopping 21 of the 23 shots he faced against the New Jersey Devils. It remains to be seen just how the depth chart will shake out after Murray has gotten his legs back under him in the AHL, but Hildeby continues to check off all the boxes on his way to becoming a full-time NHLer.
Noah Chadwick | LHD | Lethbridge (WHL)
Outside of Easton Cowan, Chadwick was the biggest riser in the Leafs’ prospect pool last season. The Leafs took the 6’4″ blueliner in the sixth round of the 2023 draft after he put up five goals and 15 assists in 67 games, and his production ballooned to 12 goals and 44 assists in 66 games in 2023-24. His breakout season in the WHL has put him in contention for a spot on Canada’s World Junior roster in December, and he will serve as the Hurricanes’ captain for the 2024-25 season. Continued improvement in his mobility and physical game will set him up to hit the ground running when he begins his professional career in 2025-26.
Artur Akhtyamov | G | Toronto (AHL)
Since being drafted by the Leafs in the fourth round of the 2020 draft, Akhtyamov has put up sparkling numbers at every level in Russia, including a .921 SV% in 17 KHL appearances last season. He has made the jump to North America for the upcoming season, and he is slated to start the year as the third goalie for the Marlies. If playing time proves tough to come by behind Murray and Hildeby, Akhtyamov could see time with Toronto’s new ECHL affiliate in Cincinnati, but the Leafs should be eager to get a look at what he can do in the AHL. Between Hildeby and Akhtyamov, the Leafs’ goaltending pipeline is the best it’s been in a long time.
Ryan Tverberg | C/W | Toronto (AHL)
Last season was Tverberg’s first full year of professional hockey, and he showed well for the Marlies despite being limited to just 46 games. He put up 32 points as a rookie, but injuries have held him back since he turned pro at the end of the 2022-23 season. Tverberg didn’t get much run in Leafs camp, but he figures to be a regular in the Marlies’ middle-six this season, with his versatility providing coach John Gruden with multiple options for deploying him. The 2020 seventh-rounder is never going to be an offensive driver at the pro level, but he’s a smart player with good speed and some competitiveness in his game who could push for a bottom-six role at the NHL level in the next couple of years.
Roni Hirvonen | W | Toronto (AHL)
Hirvonen made the jump to North America last season, and he was faced with more than his fair share of adversity in his first season with the Marlies. It started when he took a heavy hit in development camp that kept him out of action for several weeks with a concussion, and almost immediately after he rejoined the team, he took a high stick to the eye that put the future of his career in jeopardy. Hirvonen persevered and returned midway through the season wearing a full shield, managing to pot seven goals and six assists in 37 games. He was a full participant in Leafs camp this year, now wearing a long, tinted visor, and showed flashes of the potential that made him a second-round pick back in 2020. The shine has come off Hirvonen since he was drafted, and he’ll need to improve his foot speed as a smaller player, but a healthy campaign could allow him to return to form and put him back in the conversation as one of the organization’s more intriguing prospects.
Nicholas Moldenhauer | C/W | Michigan (NCAA)
Moldenhauer bounced around a deep Michigan lineup as a freshman, tallying eight goals and 13 assists through 41 games in 2023-24. With many of the Wolverine’s top players like Rutger McGroarty, Gavin Brindley, and Frank Nazar turning pro, Moldenhauer will step into a much larger role as a sophomore. He has started the year playing on the top line and notched a pair of assists in Michigan’s opening weekend set against Minnesota State. A huge year could change things for Toronto’s third-round pick from the 2022 draft, but look for him to spend at least another year in college before turning pro.
Ty Voit | W | Cincinnati (ECHL)
It would be hard to describe Voit’s first year of professional hockey as anything other than a disaster. Coming off a prolific OHL career, Voit was looking to step into the AHL and contribute right away, but he never got the chance. First, he was injured in the Traverse City Prospects Tournament, delaying his season debut until December, when he joined the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers on a conditioning stint. Voit proceeded to rack up eight points in five ECHL contests before being recalled to the Marlies but was injured once again seconds into his debut and missed the rest of the season. Voit is a highly talented offensive player, but his small stature has always been a concern, so proving he can withstand the rigours of pro hockey will be the first step to getting things back on track this season.
Alex Steeves | W | Toronto (AHL)
Set to turn 25 in December and having passed through waivers this fall, Steeves isn’t really a prospect at this stage of his career, but he could still be a depth option for the Leafs at some point. He has been a consistent weapon for the Marlies over the last three seasons, and there is some tenacity in his game, but his lack of foot speed and defensive details could hold him back from ever breaking through as a regular NHLer. Look for Steeves to be a key piece of the Marlies’ lineup this season and perhaps earn a game or two with the Leafs if injuries start to pile up.
Nick Abruzzese | W | Toronto (AHL)
Abruzzese is already 25, and like Steeves, his time as a “prospect” is likely over. Despite solid production with the Marlies, he has been surpassed by other prospects and depth forwards in the organization over the last couple of years, and it might take a massive year in the AHL for him to earn a qualifying offer from the Leafs when his contract expires at the end of the season. Still, Abruzzese represents valuable organizational depth who could handle NHL minutes in a pinch.
Jacob Quillan | C | Toronto (AHL)
The Leafs signed Quillan as an undrafted free agent last spring after he finished off an impressive collegiate career with Quinnipiac, where he scored a national title-clinching goal as a sophomore in 2022-23. He got into seven games with the Marlies to close out the season, notching a lone assist while playing limited minutes. The 22-year-old Quillan looked overwhelmed at times last spring, but he was solid in his first NHL training camp, putting his energetic two-way game on display during the preseason. He scored his first professional goal in the Marlies’ season opener on Saturday, and a strong rookie season in the AHL could propel Quillan toward a depth role in the NHL in the next couple of years.
Cade Webber | LHD | Toronto (AHL)
The Leafs targeted Webber at last year’s trade deadline, sending a late pick to Carolina for his signing rights, and brought him after his college season came to an end. He skated with the Leafs as a black ace last spring and was given plenty of time to showcase his game in his first preseason as well. Webber is a big body who blocks a ton of shots, but his play with the puck, skating, and overall physical play are still a work in progress. The Leafs clearly believe he can continue to develop those parts of his game, locking him in on a two-year extension before he even played a game this season, but it’s going to take some time in the AHL before he’s ready to handle real NHL minutes.
Mikko Kokkonen | LHD | Toronto (AHL)
Kokkonen turned some heads in last year’s training camp and put together a solid, bounce-back year with the Marlies in 2023-24, but his future in the Leafs organization appears to be in doubt at this point. There has been a clear mandate to get bigger and more physical on the back end, and as a 6’0″ defender with no real standout attributes, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Leafs opt to move on from the 2019 third-rounder when his entry-level contract expires. For now, he’ll look to reclaim his place on the organizational depth chart with his quiet and reliable defensive play.
William Villeneuve | RHD | Toronto (AHL)
If Niemelä and Kokkonen have been lost in the shuffle, Villeneuve might have fallen right off the map. Still just 22 years old, the former fourth-round pick has shown gradual improvements in his defensive play and mobility over the last couple of seasons in the AHL, but he didn’t get a look during the preseason this year, and he could see a diminished role with the Marlies this season with the injection of several veteran defenders to the organization. Villeneuve finds himself in a similar position to Kokkonen, but he has a couple of things going for him – he’s younger, taller, has more to give offensively, and he shoots right.
Braeden Kressler | C/W | Toronto (AHL)
Kressler finally managed to stay healthy in 2023-24 after a couple of injury-riddled seasons in the OHL, putting up 28 goals and 46 assists in 65 games between Flint and Ottawa. He’ll begin his professional career this season with the Marlies and will be looking to build on a strong showing in the Prospect Showcase against Montreal. Expect Kressler to fill a depth role at the beginning of the season, but he is the kind of versatile, energy-generating player who could earn a more prominent spot in the lineup as the season progresses. He’s a long shot to crack the NHL, but there are some projectable traits in his game.
Miroslav Holinka | C | Edmonton (WHL)
Drafted in the fifth round this past summer, Holinka made an immediate impression at Leafs development camp over the summer. He didn’t stand out during the Prospect Showcase, but he has gotten off to a solid start in the WHL with the Edmonton Oil Kings after they selected him in the CHL Import Draft. He has been utilized in a top six role to begin the season and should have the inside track for a spot on Czechia’s World Junior team later this winter. The Leafs have options with Holinka moving forward, and he could join the Marlies as early as next season if he shows well in the WHL in 2024-25.
Vyacheslav Peksa | G | Toronto (AHL)/Cincinnati (ECHL)
Peksa’s first season in North America was a rough one. He spent the season in the ECHL with Newfoundland, registering a 3.71 GAA and an .890 SV% through 19 appearances. There are plenty of names ahead of him on the organizational depth chart entering the 2024-25 season, and it’s going to take a strong showing in the ECHL, along with some injuries ahead of him, to earn a look with the Marlies. Peksa will be looking to turn the page on a disappointing 2023-24 campaign and reestablish himself as a legitimate NHL prospect between the pipes.
Victor Johansson | LHD | Leksands (J20 Nationell)
The Leafs used a fourth-round pick on Johansson in the 2024 draft, and though he is very much a long-term project, he has some enticing tools that the Leafs are hoping they can hone in on in the coming years. Johansson has a projectable frame at 6’1″, but he has struggled to add muscle through his teen years, and he will have to continue bulking up in order to handle bigger, stronger opponents as he progresses. He has some bite to his game as it stands, but added strength will be crucial as he climbs the ranks. Johansson is also a slick puck mover, and he has gotten off to a fantastic start in the Swedish junior league to begin the campaign. After finishing his draft year with two goals and six assists in 34 games, he has already potted a goal and 12 assists through his first 14 games this season. It will likely be a few years before we see Johansson in North America, but he could earn a look at the SHL level this season if he is able to maintain his strong start.
Hudson Malinoski | C/W | Providence (NCAA)
Malinoski had a solid, if unspectacular, freshman season at Providence after the Leafs selected him in the fifth round of the 2023 draft. He finished with nine goals and nine assists in 35 games, playing mostly middle six minutes, and he will be looking to build off of that while playing a larger role in his sophomore year. Malinoski has decent size, slick hands, and a deadly release on his shot but he must continue to get strong and improve his overall pace if he is going to earn an ELC with the Leafs in the next couple of years.
Joe Miller | C/W | Harvard (NCAA)
Miller is heading into his third season at Harvard, and it feels like he’s been in the Leafs’ system forever. Drafted in the sixth round back in 2020, he has continued to progress each season, taking on a lead role for his club last season after many of their top players turned pro at the end of the previous season. Miller is a crafty offensive player who can impact the game at the college level as a scorer and playmaker, but he is an undersized forward drafted by the previous regime, and an entry-level deal with the Leafs feels like a long-shot at this point.
Sam McCue | W | Owen Sound (OHL)
McCue was taken in the seventh round of the 2024 draft, and though he is unlikely to ever become an impact player at the pro level, his hardworking, physical style could see him develop into a viable depth option in the future. He is a big body who skates hard and finishes every check, and his offensive game looks to have taken a step in the early part of the OHL season. With six points in the first four games of the season, McCue is well on his way to surpassing the 37 points he registered in 68 games a year ago.
Alexander Plesovskikh | W | Spartak Moskva (MHL)
The Leafs have made a habit of dipping into the Russian ranks in the latter rounds of the draft over the last several years, and they did so again when they took Plesovskikh in the fifth round last June. His numbers don’t jump off the page, with 17 points in 33 MHL games during his draft year, but he has good size, plays with pace, and has decent vision as a playmaker. Plesovskikh is back in the Russian junior league to start the season, but he’s got 10 points through the first 13 games and a call-up to the VHL could be on the horizon.
Matt Lahey | LHD | Fargo (USHL)
Another seventh-rounder from the 2024 draft, Lahey is playing for Fargo in the USHL this year after being drafted out of Nanaimo in the BCHL. Standing at 6’5″ and already weighing in at over 200 pounds, he is known for his advanced physical game and instincts as a shutdown defender, but he has shown flashes of offensive vision as well. Lahey has put up three points through his first seven contests in the USHL as he continues to refine his game before kicking off his collegiate career with Clarkson University in 2025-26.
Nathan Mayes | LHD | Spokane (WHL)
Mayes was the last of three seventh-round picks for the Leafs in 2024 and the final player taken in the entire draft. He is another big body who plays a particularly violent brand of defence, but he can also turn difficult retrievals into quick breakouts on occasion. He’s off to a solid start in the WHL this season with four points through six games, and though he is the definition of a long-term project, he embodies many traits that this Leafs regime values in their blueliners. He’ll spend the next couple of years in junior, but if he can take a step offensively at that level, his defensive foundation could earn him an entry-level contract.
Timofei Obvintsev | G | Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)
Dipping back into the Russian goaltending pipeline after drafting Akhtyamov and Peksa in recent years, the Leafs took a swing on Obvintsev in the fifth round of the 2024 draft after he was passed over in his first year of eligibility. He put up solid numbers in the MHL a year ago, finishing with a .921 SV% in 16 games, and he’s at .913 with a 4-2-0 record so far this season. The Leafs will have to wait and see with Obvintsev, and it could be a while before he’s in the conversation to sign an entry-level contract. For reference, Akhtyamov was drafted in 2020, and the 2024-25 season will be his first in North America.
John Fusco | RHD | Dartmouth (NCAA)
Fusco probably finds himself in a similar situation to that of Joe Miller as an undersized player who was a late-round pick of the previous regime. Now 23 years of age and entering his fourth year of college hockey, Fusco is in tough to earn a contract with the Leafs despite decent numbers in the NCAA, but a big senior year could force Toronto’s management staff to take notice.
