A lot of the focus that has been placed on the Leafs’ prospect pool in recent weeks has centered around the trade market and what the Leafs might have to give up in order to improve their current roster. Well, Kyle Dubas took his swing on Friday night when he acquired Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari in a three-team deal with St. Louis and Minnesota, but it was primarily draft picks and not prospects that he used to get it done.
The Leafs did include 2019 fourth-rounder Mikhail Abramov in the trade, along with Adam Gaudette, but the top of their prospect pool remained untouched as they shipped out a first, second, third, and fourth-round pick scattered across the next three drafts. Abramov began his pro career with some promise, but the adjustment to the AHL has been a difficult one for the diminutive forward, and he landed in the 19th spot on my midseason ranking of the top prospects in the Leafs’ system.
Moving that much draft capital only makes the progress and development of the players the Leafs already have in their system more crucial. As Dubas alluded to following the acquisition of O’Reilly and Acciari, moving picks rather than the club’s top prospects was the obvious move given where the Leafs are currently at in their competitive cycle. The players chosen with those picks are still multiple years away from contributing at the NHL level if they even make it that far, whereas a player like Matthew Knies could be ready to step into Toronto’s bottom-six as early as this spring, and players like Topi Niemelä or Fraser Minten are known quantities to the organization who represent clearer projections than nameless draft picks do.
Let’s catch up with what some of those prospects were up to over the last week.
Matthew Knies ties it in the final minute and then wins it in overtime. Outstanding play by Logan Cooley to set him up.#LeafsForever #Yotes pic.twitter.com/tvhthyWGh0
— Nick Richard (@_NickRichard) February 19, 2023
#LeafsForever prospect Topi Niemelä scores his second goal of the game, and it is MUCH more pretty than the first. Great play.pic.twitter.com/YUUleUsLjy
— More like Nikita GREATbyonkin (@brigstew86) February 17, 2023
In his return home, @DaylanKuefler91 nets one to make it 6-4 Blazers pic.twitter.com/CVF51ANBUx
— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) February 18, 2023
Have a night Nolan Burke‼️
The #Smashville prospect continues his career season with a effort.@StingHockey | @PredsNHL pic.twitter.com/eqrQkqCae6
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) February 16, 2023
Artur Akhtyamov wrapped up his regular season on Friday. He finishes the 22-23 campaign with the best save percentage in the VHL having played the 6th most games. Remarkably similar results to Timur Bilyalov's 15-16 season
Totals: 39 GP, .943 SV%, 6 shutouts pic.twitter.com/LRzXhspKmr
— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) February 19, 2023
Josh Pillar with a blast from the slot to make it 4-1 Saskatoon after 2 periods. #mnwild pic.twitter.com/CmPi2wyPZT
— MNW Young Guns (@mnwprospects) October 9, 2022
(Statistics from EliteProspects.com)
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