Your Spring 2018 Toronto Maple Leaf Prospect Rankings

[AppsSyl]

I am curious to see how people's perceptions of our prospects have changed since the fall, with almost another full season of development.

I took my crack at a top 25 of what we still have in the system.

The criteria I went with was under 25 years of age, and players who are on the NHL roster as of the trade deadline are not included (so no Kapanen or Dermott).

I was looking at age (room for future development), current point in development, trajectory since drafted/signed, and likelihood to make a future impact at the NHL level in determining the ranks.


Mid-Season Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Rankings

1) Timothy Liljegren D 18
2) Andreas Johnsson LW 23
3) Carl Grundstrom LW 20
4) Andreas Borgman D 22
5) Yegor Korshkov RW/LW 21
6) Eemeli Rasanen D 18
7) Jeremy Bracco RW 20
8) Miro Aaltonen C 24
9) Joseph Woll G 19
10) Dmytro Timashov RW/LW 21
11) Jesper Lindgren D 20
12) Pierre Engvall RW/LW 21
13) Mason Marchment LW 22
14) Frederick Gauthier C 22
15) Andrew Nielsen D 21
16) Garret Sparks G 24
17) Adam Brooks C 21
18) Fedor Gordeev D 19
19) Keaton Middleton D 19
20) J.D. Greenway D 19
21) Ian Scott G 19
22) Calle Rosen D 24
23) Martin Dzierkals RW/LW 20
24) Dakota Joshua C 21
25) Nikolai Chebykin RW/LW 20

Click to read more...

 

[drewjenks]

I am curious to see how people's perceptions of our prospects have changed since the fall, with almost another full season of development.

I took my crack at a top 25 of what we still have in the system.

The criteria I went with was under 25 years of age, and players who are on the NHL roster as of the trade deadline are not included (so no Kapanen or Dermott).

I was looking at age (room for future development), current point in development, trajectory since drafted/signed, and likelihood to make a future impact at the NHL level in determining the ranks.


Mid-Season Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Rankings

1) Timothy Liljegren D 18
2) Andreas Johnsson LW 23
3) Carl Grundstrom LW 20
4) Andreas Borgman D 22
5) Yegor Korshkov RW/LW 21
6) Eemeli Rasanen D 18
7) Jeremy Bracco RW 20
8) Miro Aaltonen C 24
9) Joseph Woll G 19
10) Dmytro Timashov RW/LW 21
11) Jesper Lindgren D 20
12) Pierre Engvall RW/LW 21
13) Mason Marchment LW 22
14) Frederick Gauthier C 22
15) Andrew Nielsen D 21
16) Garret Sparks G 24
17) Adam Brooks C 21
18) Fedor Gordeev D 19
19) Keaton Middleton D 19
20) J.D. Greenway D 19
21) Ian Scott G 19
22) Calle Rosen D 24
23) Martin Dzierkals RW/LW 20
24) Dakota Joshua C 21
25) Nikolai Chebykin RW/LW 20

Joshua & Chebykin should be higher.

Engvall & Lindgren should be lower.

Korshkov is too much of an unknown to go ahead of Bracco & Aaltonen.

Other than that I'm down.

 

[Canada4Gold]

1. Liljegren
2. Grundstrom
3. Korshkov
4. Johnsson
5. Bracco
6. Rasanen
7. Borgman
8. Timashov
9. Woll
10. Brooks
11. Aaltonen
12. Nielsen
13. Sparks
14. Pickard
15. Joshua

 

[Cor]

1. Liljegren
2. Grundstrom
3. Johnsson
4. Bracco
5. Aaltonen
6. Korshkov
7. Gordeev
8. Rasanen
9. Borgman
10. Woll

 

[Swedish Gretzky]

1) Timothy Liljegren
2) Carl Grundstrom
3) Yegor Korshkov


4) andreas Borgman
5) andreas Johnsson

 

[Judas Tavares]

1. Liljegren
2. Grundstrom
3. Johnsson
4. Korshkov
5. Borgman
6. Bracco
7. Rasanen
8. Aaltonen
9. Woll
10. Sparks

Some notes.

• Imo, the top 4 should basically be set for everyone with the same 4 players.
  
• For me, there is a dropoff after 4.
  
• I have Borgman as high as he is because, well he's made the NHL and shown he can at least compete. That is always big in my books. Which is why I've always had Gauthier high, until this year when he showed he can't compete.
  
• I don't love Bracco nearly as much as the board does.
  
• I see Sparks still making it somewhere as a backup goalie.
• Brooks has had a rough go, and why unless someone is a top prospect, I have trust issues with huge jr. stats. You can be Connor Brown and look awesome in your first year in the AHL, or you can be like Brooks, 2 months away from 22 doing very little in the AHL.
  
• Our centre depth is as putrid as they come
• I think our pool as a whole is slightly below average

 

[AppsSyl]

I think Jesper Lindgren is a prospect that is really underrated. He has a nice skill set and is only 20 years old, and a RHD as well.

A fairly recent scouting report on him is below from Scott Wheeler in his Maple Leaf prospect rankings from Feb 11th.

"Lindgren has quietly been good wherever he has played for a few years now. Before the Leafs selected him, I had him ranked firmly in the second round in my ranking at McKeen's Hockey. At the time, he was a flashy, up-tempo star in Sweden's junior ranks. After fighting to iron out a limited role in the SHL as a teenager on a brutal MODO team, he became a significant contributor after their relegation to Allsvenskan last year, leading all under-20 defencemen in scoring with 24 points in 50 games, which was bested only by two forwards of his age class (Canucks prospects Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Dahlen). This year, with HPK in Liiga, he's third among his team's defencemen in points while logging a really impressive 20:14 TOI per game, which tops a lot of his more highly-touted peers.
Most of all, he makes really quick decisions, which should translate well on smaller ice."

 

[stickty111]

I think Jesper Lindgren is a prospect that is really underrated. He has a nice skill set and is only 20 years old, and a RHD as well.

A fairly recent scouting report on him is below from Scott Wheeler in his Maple Leaf prospect rankings from Feb 11th.

"Lindgren has quietly been good wherever he has played for a few years now. Before the Leafs selected him, I had him ranked firmly in the second round in my ranking at McKeen's Hockey. At the time, he was a flashy, up-tempo star in Sweden's junior ranks. After fighting to iron out a limited role in the SHL as a teenager on a brutal MODO team, he became a significant contributor after their relegation to Allsvenskan last year, leading all under-20 defencemen in scoring with 24 points in 50 games, which was bested only by two forwards of his age class (Canucks prospects Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Dahlen). This year, with HPK in Liiga, he's third among his team's defencemen in points while logging a really impressive 20:14 TOI per game, which tops a lot of his more highly-touted peers.
Most of all, he makes really quick decisions, which should translate well on smaller ice."

Yup. One of my favorite prospects, and someone that I have said people should keep an eye on.
He had a great year last season. This season, its easy to judge by his low point totals however he plays on a system where d man dont get involved too much offensively, and his team has underachieved as well so far. From the reports that have been there, he has been very good again this season.
A dark horse prospect.
He is what you look for in a NHL d man today. Great skater, good skills offensively, reliable defensively, and reads the game well.

 

[zeke]

IMO there's only 5 or 6 worth hoping on at this point.

1.Liljegren
2.Grundstrom
3.Borgman
4.Johnsson
5.Sparks
6.Rasanen

and maybe euros like Korshkov/Lindgren can add themselves into that group.

but that's about it for legit prospects, imo.

 

[stickty111]

Bracco is still a legit prospect especially with how good he has been this year.
You cant say some prospects arent legit just because they dont follow one type of trajectory.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

I think Korshkov is going to surprise people. I'm really hoping he comes over soon because he's NHL ready and can replace one of the likely departing UFA wingers. He's definitely a player people are sleeping on. I have him #2 behind Liljegren.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

Man taking Brooks over Mete is a feelsbadman.

 

[Schennanigans]

Our prospects looks pretty bad eh... Probably near the bottom of the league. Losing that 2nd sure doesn't help us.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Our prospects looks pretty bad eh... Probably near the bottom of the league. Losing that 2nd sure doesn't help us.

If we get lucky with a Robert Thomas type pick in the late 1st we should be in pretty good shape IMO. There's no future all-stars in there, but we have a solid pipeline of good cheap depth at wing. If we can figure out the 3rd line C situation with a 1st, we should be relatively self-sustainable for a few years as long as we hit on some depth D options with our mid-round defensemen picks and our 2nd this year. Even if we don't, once Liljegren graduates we're starting to look pretty full at the NHL level.

Rielly-Liljegren
Dermott-Zaitsev
Borgman-Holl/Rasanen/Lindgren/whoever

And that's with Hainsey/Gardiner leaving in FA with no signings to replace them.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Mid-Season Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Rankings

1) Timothy Liljegren D 18
2) Andreas Johnsson LW 23
3) Carl Grundstrom LW 20
4) Andreas Borgman D 22
5) Yegor Korshkov RW/LW 21
6) Eemeli Rasanen D 18
7) Jeremy Bracco RW 20
8) Miro Aaltonen C 24
9) Joseph Woll G 19
10) Dmytro Timashov RW/LW 21
11) Jesper Lindgren D 20
12) Pierre Engvall RW/LW 21
13) Mason Marchment LW 22
14) Frederick Gauthier C 22
15) Andrew Nielsen D 21
16) Garret Sparks G 24
17) Adam Brooks C 21
18) Fedor Gordeev D 19
19) Keaton Middleton D 19
20) J.D. Greenway D 19
21) Ian Scott G 19
22) Calle Rosen D 24
23) Martin Dzierkals RW/LW 20
24) Dakota Joshua C 21
25) Nikolai Chebykin RW/LW 20

Nice work, Apps. My own list would be the following I think, divided into tiers:

(Elite talents)
1) Timothy Liljegren D 18
---
(NHL upside with good odds)
2) Carl Grundstrom LW 20
3) Andreas Johnsson LW 23
4) Andreas Borgman D 22
5) Yegor Korshkov RW/LW 21
---
(NHL upside)
6) Eemeli Rasanen D 18
7) Jeremy Bracco RW 20
7) Dmytro Timashov RW/LW 21
9) Joseph Woll G 19
---
(Depth talents who are close)
10) Miro Aaltonen C 24
10) Garret Sparks G 24
---
(NHL upside with bad odds)
12) Jesper Lindgren D 20
12) Pierre Engvall RW/LW 21
14) Ian Scott G 19
15) Andrew Nielsen D 21
15) Adam Brooks C 21
17) Fedor Gordeev D 19
17) J.D. Greenway D 19
---
(Depth talents)
19) Mason Marchment LW 22
19) Frederick Gauthier C 22
21) Calle Rosen D 24
---
(Depth talents who are long shots)
22) Martin Dzierkals RW/LW 20
22) Nikolai Chebykin RW/LW 20
22) Dakota Joshua C 21
25) Keaton Middleton D 19

 

[Macallan18]

1. Liljegren
2. Grundstrom
3. Johnsson
4. Bracco
5. Aaltonen
6. Korshkov
7. Gordeev
8. Rasanen
9. Borgman
10. Woll

I might flip Johnsson and Grundstrom, as Johnsson now is a very known quantity in a much larger sample than Grundstrom, and maybe flip Bracco and Aaltonen (and I am a big Bracco fan).
Otherwise all potential gud pros.

 

[Spirit of 67]

I am curious to see how people's perceptions of our prospects have changed since the fall, with almost another full season of development.

I took my crack at a top 25 of what we still have in the system.

The criteria I went with was under 25 years of age, and players who are on the NHL roster as of the trade deadline are not included (so no Kapanen or Dermott).

I was looking at age (room for future development), current point in development, trajectory since drafted/signed, and likelihood to make a future impact at the NHL level in determining the ranks.


Mid-Season Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Rankings

1) Timothy Liljegren D 18
2) Andreas Johnsson LW 23
3) Carl Grundstrom LW 20
4) Andreas Borgman D 22
5) Yegor Korshkov RW/LW 21
6) Eemeli Rasanen D 18
7) Jeremy Bracco RW 20
8) Miro Aaltonen C 24
9) Joseph Woll G 19
10) Dmytro Timashov RW/LW 21
11) Jesper Lindgren D 20
12) Pierre Engvall RW/LW 21
13) Mason Marchment LW 22
14) Frederick Gauthier C 22
15) Andrew Nielsen D 21
16) Garret Sparks G 24
17) Adam Brooks C 21
18) Fedor Gordeev D 19
19) Keaton Middleton D 19
20) J.D. Greenway D 19
21) Ian Scott G 19
22) Calle Rosen D 24
23) Martin Dzierkals RW/LW 20
24) Dakota Joshua C 21
25) Nikolai Chebykin RW/LW 20

Rasanen is too high. He's at least 3 years away from the NHL.

 

[SprDaVE]

1) Timothy Liljegren D 18
2) Andreas Johnsson LW 23
3) Carl Grundstrom LW 20
4) Jeremy Bracco RW 20
5) Andreas Borgman D 22
6) Garret Sparks G 24
7) Yegor Korshkov RW/LW 21
8) Miro Aaltonen C 24
9) Dmytro Timashov RW/LW 21
10) Eemeli Rasanen D 18
11) Jesper Lindgren D 20
12) Joseph Woll G 19
13) Andrew Nielsen D 21
14) Frederick Gauthier C 22
15) Adam Brooks C 21
16) Calle Rosen D 24
17) Mason Marchment LW 22
18) Fedor Gordeev D 19
19) Ian Scott G 19
20) Pierre Engvall RW/LW 21
21) Nicolas Mattinen D 20
22) Dakota Joshua C 21
23) Martin Dzierkals RW/LW 20
24) Keaton Middleton D 19
25) J.D. Greenway D 19

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Leafs lack of prospects is attributed to that they so many "cheap ones" playing in the NHL.
Difference makers that might make the NHL.....Liljegren, Grundstrom, Johnson, Korshov, Borgman. after that just some hopes.
Leafs have to draft and develop some centre.

 

[LDN]

Hopefully its a good draft this year.

 

[613Leafer]

Farm system is starting to look pretty thin. There are still some decent pieces in there, but outside the top 5, there's a whole bunch of long-shots.

We need some better asset management. Two years in a row of trading a 2nd rounder for a depth forward at the deadline, and then letting Bozak, JVR, and Komarov all walk for nothing - that's roughly the equivalent of a 1st, 2-3 2nd rounders, and a couple mid-round picks.

Gardiner's a pending UFA next season, I wonder what they do? Lou let Parise, Clarkson, Gomez, Gionta, Rafalski, etc, walk for nothing during the cap era from New Jersey. I generally like what our management has been doing, but the combination of letting guys walk + being buyers for rentals at the deadline can thin your farm system out pretty quick.

 

[member 147413]

Aaltonen and Rasanen don’t sniff the NHL imo.

 

[SprDaVE]

Farm system is starting to look pretty thin. There are still some decent pieces in there, but outside the top 5, there's a whole bunch of long-shots.

We need some better asset management. Two years in a row of trading a 2nd rounder for a depth forward at the deadline, and then letting Bozak, JVR, and Komarov all walk for nothing - that's roughly the equivalent of a 1st, 2-3 2nd rounders, and a couple mid-round picks.

Gardiner's a pending UFA next season, I wonder what they do? Lou let Parise, Clarkson, Gomez, Gionta, Rafalski, etc, walk for nothing during the cap era from New Jersey. I generally like what our management has been doing, but the combination of letting guys walk + being buyers for rentals at the deadline can thin your farm system out pretty quick.

It's pretty normal to go from the best to average, or even below average, after so many graduations. If the prospect pool can stay average while being a top 5-10 team in the league, I think that's pretty good.

It still annoys me quite a bit that Hunter passed on DeBrincat in 2016 over Korshkov. Heck I was hoping Girard would be picked there too... but nope. I hope he makes me eat my words so we'll see.

I do not like how the Leafs managed their assets though. I don't think Lamoriello was pro active enough. If Dubas was in charge and was letting walk Bozak, JVR, Komarov, etc... he'd be roasted really hard around here. But because Lamoriello is seen as someone that doesn't make mistakes, it goes fairly unnoticed by most.

 

[diceman934]

Wow people need to understand when your team goes from a rebuilding team to a contending team you keep UFA to allow you to make a run in the playoffs. We stock piled picks and this year we have a pick in every round except the 6th which we traded for goalie depth and most Likely our backup goalie next season.

Asset management has been very good and it will see us be competitive for many years to come.

I am truly shocked at the lack of understanding of what happens with teams near the top of the NHL rosters each year.

Bozak, JVR and Leo will not be walking away for for nothing we get cap space and I see us resigning at least one of the 3 and still possibly getting a mid round pick from a team for the negotiation rights to JVR unless we resign him.

Trading away these players for futures would have hurt our team far more then it helped as we need these players to allows us to be competitive in the playoffs as experience in the playoffs is a valuable developmental process for our young core.

As we develop players who can take roster spots for our UFA players we can replace them with cheaper versions of them which will allow us to remain a top team and hopefully a better team. This off season will see us go hard after players both in the UFA market and trades to improve our team in key areas.

Thus far in my opinion we have not took one bad step yet, other then possibly a pick or two in drafts that where we were swinging for the fences in hopes of hitting a diamond.

 

[diceman934]

Farm system is starting to look pretty thin. There are still some decent pieces in there, but outside the top 5, there's a whole bunch of long-shots.

We need some better asset management. Two years in a row of trading a 2nd rounder for a depth forward at the deadline, and then letting Bozak, JVR, and Komarov all walk for nothing - that's roughly the equivalent of a 1st, 2-3 2nd rounders, and a couple mid-round picks.

Gardiner's a pending UFA next season, I wonder what they do? Lou let Parise, Clarkson, Gomez, Gionta, Rafalski, etc, walk for nothing during the cap era from New Jersey. I generally like what our management has been doing, but the combination of letting guys walk + being buyers for rentals at the deadline can thin your farm system out pretty quick.

To answer your question about Gardiner.., he is resigned or traded by Oct of this year. He will not be allowed to walk away for nothing.