Prospect Info: 2020 3rd Rd Selection - #64 OA (via OTT) - RD Topi Niemela (Karpat) - 6'0 163

[Man Bear Pig]

Starting to board the hype train. Kid looks fantastic. I don't take much away from the world juniors but it's really the only chance most of us will get to see him until he comes across the pond. Is he gonna be our #2 prospect in the pool by the end of the year? I'm not including Sandin, Robertson or Liljegren as all will be on the NHL roster. The only one ahead that I have is Amirov.

 

[Fogelhund]

If this kid can add a bit of size to him, without limiting his mobility, he could have a NHL career. He's looked very good so far, in particular his intelligence.

 

[IceColdBear]

Niemela looks like a right shot Travis Dermott to me. I think he can be a player for us.

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

I can't believe he was a 3rd round pick. Moreso can't believe that we traded a 2nd to Ottawa and got a 2nd and 3rd back which netted us Niemala and Hirvonen.

Would it be out of question for Niemala to be in the running for top D at the tournament from what we've seen so far?

I would say he would have to contend with Drysdale, Byram and Sanderson. Byram looked fantastic the other night.

 

[leafsfan2point0]

He’s only 18 and he’s looked great so far!

 

[The Iceman]

I would say he would have to contend with Drysdale, Byram and Sanderson. Byram looked fantastic the other night.

This transaction is exactly what this management tries to execute...buying an extra lottery ticket. I look forward to checking back in 4 years to see how it worked out

 

[nobody]

I can't believe he was a 3rd round pick. Moreso can't believe that we traded a 2nd to Ottawa and got a 2nd and 3rd back which netted us Niemala and Hirvonen.

Would it be out of question for Niemala to be in the running for top D at the tournament from what we've seen so far?

I would say he would have to contend with Drysdale, Byram and Sanderson. Byram looked fantastic the other night.

He's definitely going to be in tough with the Canadian top pair. I also think Cam York is being vastly overlooked. Sanderson hasn't really impressed me at all as far as his hype goes. Heinola is in that same boat of lots of hype but so far looking okay (not stellar, not terrible but somewhere in between). My underdog for defenseman of the tournament is the Broberg kid from Sweden. I think the fact that they're not as stacked as a team yet still have a good enough roster to compete for a medal, he could be a big player that can propel them deep. I've also been shockingly impressed with Shakir Mukhamudullin (sp?). I know the kid was absolutely pooped on for being drafted so high by the Devils but he's looking like he's going to be an absolute stud. His mobility is impressive and living up to the hype that some people were putting forth and his offensive skills/ passing abilities have been stellar.

 

[LeafChief]

I would say he would have to contend with Drysdale, Byram and Sanderson. Byram looked fantastic the other night.

Sanderson looked like a disaster last night.

 

[Future]

Niemela looks like a right shot Travis Dermott to me. I think he can be a player for us.

Meh. I think he has a lot more upside defensively compared to Dermott. Not that high on Dermott personally as I don’t see him ever taking that step to be more than an average bottom pair guy. That said, I’d be ok if that’s what Niemala turned out to be.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Sanderson looked like a disaster last night.

True. As someone that liked Sanderson a lot going in to the draft that was a terrible performance yesterday. Thankfully though he should turn it around.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Niemela looks like a right shot Travis Dermott to me. I think he can be a player for us.

Not a bad comp. I also see a lot of Sandin in his game. Not many wow tools but a truly remarkable thinker of the game.

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

Sanderson looked like a disaster last night.

I was basing it more on the pedigree of those players but yeah. I could see it being Byram.

 

[The Iceman]

If Niemela outplays Schneider who many had the Leafs selecting in their draft mocks that would be a win.

 

[ponder]

Man, this kid is soooo good at zone exits. Great patience/composure with the puck, he can skate it out himself, make a great first pass, or know when to hold onto the puck and wait for the right pass to open up. It seems like every time he touches the puck in his own end, it turns into a very clean exit from the defensive zone, and clean entry into the offensive zone.

Plenty of other things to like in his game, but his work on breakouts stands out the most to me.

 

[ponder]

That arm injury set Dermott back a season I think. He was just coming into his own at the NHL level... as solid second pairing d-man. I remember Dermotts first rookie tournament, he was the best defenseman by far, he reminds me at that age of Niemela. Quick back to the puck in the D-zone, great reads, good lateral movement, just solid.

We also just have so much competition at LD. Rielly, Muzzin, Dermott, and Sandin coming up too. I think Dermott would be a quality 2nd pairing dman on plenty of teams, but that’s not happening on the Leafs, as Muzzin is a quality #2 dman who happens to be playing in the 2nd pair. I also like Dermott a lot - plays a very aggressive style of D but rarely gets burned, GREAT gap control, good skater and puck mover, decent physicality too.

If Dermott can truly move to RD, he’ll have much more of a future with the Leafs, as RD spots are wide open after Brodie. IMO he’s better than Holl, who many have penciled in as our 2nd pair RD, but Holl is a better fit as a big righty. At LD though, Dermott will be fighting with Sandin just to make the team. If we do end up dealing him (due to the LD logjam), I’d strongly expect him to be a quality 2nd pairing dman, assuming he goes to a team that gives him that opportunity.

Comparing Niemela to Dermott is certainly not an insult, Dermott is good.

 

[baton elevated]

Man, this kid is soooo good at zone exits. Great patience/composure with the puck, he can skate it out himself, make a great first pass, or know when to hold onto the puck and wait for the right pass to open up. It seems like every time he touches the puck in his own end, it turns into a very clean exit from the defensive zone, and clean entry into the offensive zone.

Plenty of other things to like in his game, but his work on breakouts stands out the most to me.

Sounds like T. Kaberle 2.0

 

[ponder]

Sounds like T. Kaberle 2.0

Some stylistic similarities - patient, smart, skilled puck movers. Niemela isn’t the elite offensive zone playmaker that Kaberle was, though he is a more willing shooter. Niemela is noticeably smaller than Kaberle.

Obviously Niemela is a question mark to make the NHL at all, while Kaberle was an elite offensive dman at the NHL level. I wouldn’t try to make a skill level comparison, but stylistically they do some similar things on breakouts.

 

[Dion TheFluff]

how did he play today?

 

[Maplebeasts]

how did he play today?

Great. Few mistakes defensively and put up another 2 points.

 

[X66]

I get serious Enstrom vibes from him.

 

[Nooodles]

This kid could be a gem.
The best part is that we stole him from the Sens.

 

[67Cup]

To break into this Dermott discussion thread for a moment, Niemela appears to me to be a good 6 feet tall or thereabouts. It’s hard to tell under hockey gear how much he has filled out but he doesn’t look particularly skinny. He is certainly not going to be the next Chris Pronger (or Keaton Middleton). But he’s not horribly undersized either.

He looks like a very promising prospect to me. But, as with all prospects, we’ll see.

 

[ponder]

To break into this Dermott discussion thread for a moment, Niemela appears to me to be a good 6 feet tall or thereabouts. It’s hard to tell under hockey gear how much he has filled out but he doesn’t look particularly skinny. He is certainly not going to be the next Chris Pronger (or Keaton Middleton). But he’s not horribly undersized either.

He looks like a very promising prospect to me. But, as with all prospects, we’ll see.

He’s listed at 5’11” basically everywhere:

• Official Liiga profile - in cm/kgs, but translates to 5’11” and 165 lbs: Stats | #7 Niemelä, Topi | Liiga
• Elite Prospects, 5’11” and 165 lbs: Topi Niemelä at eliteprospects.com
• Hockey DB, 5’11” and 156 lbs, but that weight is likely out of date, or a typo: Topi Niemela Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

It’s hard to judge height/weight from watching games, but he looks a touch short and fairly skinny to me, 5’11” 165 lbs seems about right.

I like him as a prospect, but he’s definitely below average size. However, he’s only 18, shouldn’t be too much of an issue if he can bulk up to 185+ lbs, and he may even grow a touch taller. FWIW, the average height/weight of an NHL dman is 6’ 1.7” and 203 lbs, while for forwards it’s 6’ 0.7” and 197 lbs.

 

[Morgs]

Decent company here.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Decent company here.

and guess who is facilitating a lot of Lambert and Viro’s controlled exits