The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect system isn’t as strong compared to other teams given how competitive they have been in making the post season, but also giving up picks to attempt a deep run. Top prospect Matthew Knies has some NHL experience as he heads into his rookie season but has already shown what he can do after a standout postseason. He’s looking to make a name for himself as a top-six forward.
After him, there may be some questions surrounding who can be the next one to jump in and make a strong impact for the team. While there may not be any eye-popping names in the system, there are still players that have strong upside and could make the team sooner rather than later. There’s a reason why the Maple Leafs haven’t moved on from these names as they could be pushing for a spot.
Here are four prospects that are close to being NHL ready.
Pontus Holmberg
It’s clear that the one with the most NHL experience would be at the top of this list. Despite being a fourth line player, Pontus Homberg was extremely effective early on with the Maple Leafs. In 37 games he tallied five goals and 13 points, strong results for a player that only appeared in just six American Hockey League games with the Toronto Marlies the season before. Despite getting sent down, Holmberg has a great chance to secure a spot on the Maple Leafs roster.
The experience that Holmberg had at the pro level in Sweden has no doubt accelerated his growth and development. He’s a strong smart, playmaking centre that can excel on both sides of the puck. He showed what he can do with his energy and intensity, but after recovering from an illness, he was sent to down to earn big minutes for the Marlies. While he showed promise, there were times when being a rookie showed with poor decision making and inconsistent play before his demotion.
With NHL experience under his belt, Holmberg is definitely in line to battle for the spot as the fourth line centre. Given his energy, work ethic, smarts and ability to play in certain situations, he’ll be a key factor for this team going forward.
Fraser Minten
Out of all the Maple Leafs prospects that aren’t playing in the AHL, Fraser Minten is definitely the closest to being NHL-ready. He’s a full package player as he excels in all areas of the game. He has the IQ, a fantastic shot, the intensity and mindset to attack and engage in battles. He’s not even afraid of stepping up and making a big time hit when he needs to. While many wondered how he would pan out as a second- round pick, it’s definitely starting to pay off.
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Minten had 31 goals and 67 points in 57 games last season with the Kamloops Blazers. He’s a threat at both five-on-five and on the power play, having an even strength primary point per game rate of 0.46 and 0.42 on the man advantage. 50 of his 67 points were primary points, showing that he can lead the charge offensively and produce. If he was healthy consistently, his production would’ve been higher. If he is given the time and space, he isn’t going to deny that opportunity to step in and release his strong and accurate wrist shot.
Minten’s combination of his power forward mindset and IQ with and without the puck is going to continue to make him a valuable asset for the Maple Leafs. It gives them the edge that they have lacked and he can bring it consistently. Seeing as the team doesn’t have great depth up the middle, he could definitely be a solution for when he makes it to the NHL. He has the confidence and mindset to continue working towards his goal and if he dominates the Western Hockey League, that’ll benefit him even more.
Topi Niemelä
Much like Holmberg, Topi Niemelä’s time playing in a top European league has accelerated his development as a smart and mobile, two-way defenseman. It’s all but likely that he may start off in the AHL this season earning some important minutes, there’s always the possibility that he could earn himself a callup later on in the season if he continues to impress.
While it may have seemed like it was an inconsistent 2022-23 campaign for Niemelä (18 points in 58 games with Kärpät), when he came over to North America it looked like he started to get back on track. He had two points in six regular season games with the Marlies, but he elevated his play and production in the postseason where he had five points in seven games.
Although it’s a small sample at five-on-five, he had a goals for percentage of 50% in the regular season, but that shot up to 80% in the playoffs as he was on for only two goals against. This shows his ability to quickly adapt and make an immediate impact. The fact that he’s able to adapt quickly and rise to the occasion against the competition is a great sign that he isn’t that far off.
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Niemelä’s awareness and transitional play is what makes him such a great player. He has strong control of the puck when leading a rush and he’s smart positionally within his own zone. He displays great patience and executes plays effectively. He stated that he needs to improve his strength. Once he does, the potential remains sky high for the Maple Leafs top defensive prospect.
Nick Abruzzese
It’s easy to forget Nick Abruzzese in all the prospect hype in the Maple Leafs system as most of the attention has been around Knies, Nick Robertson and even Minten as of late. But Abruzzese is definitely a name that has stood out and could be in the lineup consistently.
After posting 77 points in 59 games in the NCAA, Abruzzese came into this season as a rookie in the AHL, getting a glimpse at the professional level in nine games with the Maple Leafs towards the end in 2021-22. His play alone this season was impressive as he had 48 points in 69 games and added another seven in the playoffs. In all situations, he was second on the team in both primary points (39) and assists (23). His GF% at 5v5 doesn’t look that great as he was 45.1%, but that changed in the postseason as he 66.7%.
Abruzzese was an important player for the Marlies offense last season, being an extremely effective playmaker and puck distributor. Despite being 5-foot-11, 183 pounds, he displays the determination and work ethic every single shift. His energy and ability to not take a shift off is what’s going to make him stick in the NHL. He’s very sound positionally being able to intercept plays and to transition to offense quickly. He knows he’s on the outside looking in, but that isn’t going to stop as he inches closer to being ready for the next level.
Even though the Maple Leafs don’t have any high-end names in their prospect system, they have players that are on the verge of making headway. Holmberg, Minten, Niemelä and Abruzzese are next in line as players to take that next step and make it to the NHL. They’re already knocking on the door and it won’t be long before they’re going to be relied on by the big club.
Statistics from Pick 224 and AHL Tracker.
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