1. *Matthew Knies: This kid is a wizard. He has some insane hands, is insanely creative, has a rocket of a shot, skates very well, hits extremely hard, battles down low, and has immense vision. His size and skill is a lethal combination and he is definitely going to be a high impact player at the NHL level. Cannot wait to see this guy at the Olympics, he is going to TEAR IT UP
2. Topi Niemela: This kid is a machine. He's only 19 years old (20 by early March), and already has an impressive career. The young RD has been putting up monster numbers in LIIGA while being good defensively. He seems like a strong contender for the Olympics. Reminds me a lot of Morgan Rielly.
3. Rodion Amirov: Amirov has been absolutely screwed this year, between an injury and not getting any ice time whatsoever. He is an exceptional player who plays a very strong 200ft game. He is a threat whenever he is on the ice, and is going to earn a lot of doubters respect when he comes to NA.
4. Nick Robertson: Robertson is a great player and a ton of fun to watch. His drive is unrivaled and his game is phenomenal. My only concern is his injury tendencies. He got injured within minutes of his first NHL game last year, and only played 2 AHL games this year, granted his injury this year was EXTREMELY unfortunate and no fault of his size. Love Nick and wish him the best, but considering his injuries, I am least sure of his future.
5. Alex Steeves: This dude is a pain in the keyster to play against. He looked actually pretty good at the NHL level and has absolutely torn it up with the Marlies. Steeves is projecting to be a very good middle six winger in the NHL.
6. Ty Voit: Forget his small size, Voit is an absolute horse. He is the Leafs youngest prospect, and has an insane statline through 29 OHL games this year. Per Kyle Cushman, 37 of Ty Voit's 40(!) points in 29 games are primary. He has 11 goals and 29 assists, including 2 goals in tonights game after eating a dirty hit to the head. He plays with a ton of intensity and by watching him you would never know he is 5'10" 161lbs.
7. Roni Hirvonen: He's stepped up big when needed, and played as captain for Finlands most recent world junior team. Hirvonen plays a very strong defensive game, reading plays well and closing lanes. He moves through the neutral zone in transition with ease and can make some killer passes.
8. *Nick Abruzzese: Another Olympian, Abruzzese is a guy I have liked for a while, evening going as far as saying he had 2C upside. He's a very good playmaker, and I cant wait to see more of him at the Olympics.
9. *Pontus Holmberg: The third Olympian on the list, Holmberg is a great story within the Leafs system. He was an undrafted overager playing in a low tier Swedish league, but he has blossomed into a playmaking machine. He has recently found his goalscoring touch a little more, and recently won SHL playoff MVP. Im a little unsure of his future at the NHL level, but have a lot of faith he will make an impact at the NHL level in a bottom 6 role.
10. Filip Kral: Kral could most definitely be higher on this list, but I'm not overly familiar with this game. He was recently named AHL player of the week, and I really liked what I saw in the preseason, so I think he's definitely up there in our system
It's nice to be high on Knies but he's not going to be an impact player in reality. Middle 6 forward who might compliment a top 6 line but he doesn't drive play. You'd have to be crazy to have him higher than 4th.
It's nice to be high on Knies but he's not going to be an impact player in reality. Middle 6 forward who might compliment a top 6 line but he doesn't drive play. You'd have to be crazy to have him higher than 4th.
“ If there’s a particular strength of Knies’ game that isn’t a mechanical skill, but a way to impact the game for his team’s favour, it’s his offensive transition game. He has the speed to blow by defenders, and good enough deception and maneuverability to get around teams that try to cut him off and box him in. Some of the best ways to have an impact on scoring chances, for and against, is to be good at driving offensive transitions or shutting down transition attempts against.”
Literally copied and paste from his EP Rinkside prospect report. He absolutely drives play and will be a force when he hits the NHL. Hands down the best offensive Leaf prospect they’ve drafted since 2016. He should absolutely be #1 here.
It's nice to be high on Knies but he's not going to be an impact player in reality. Middle 6 forward who might compliment a top 6 line but he doesn't drive play. You'd have to be crazy to have him higher than 4th.
“ If there’s a particular strength of Knies’ game that isn’t a mechanical skill, but a way to impact the game for his team’s favour, it’s his offensive transition game. He has the speed to blow by defenders, and good enough deception and maneuverability to get around teams that try to cut him off and box him in. Some of the best ways to have an impact on scoring chances, for and against, is to be good at driving offensive transitions or shutting down transition attempts against.”
Literally copied and paste from his EP Rinkside prospect report. He absolutely drives play and will be a force when he hits the NHL. Hands down the best offensive Leaf prospect they’ve drafted since 2016. He should absolutely be #1 here.
Good list 👌
He drives play at the NCAA level. If you watched the EP video on him though you'd know they don't expect those skills to carry over to the NHL game. You are just huffing the hopium on the prospects.
It's nice to be high on Knies but he's not going to be an impact player in reality. Middle 6 forward who might compliment a top 6 line but he doesn't drive play. You'd have to be crazy to have him higher than 4th.
Don't really agree with this. 'Impact player' can be interpreted in different ways, so I'll stay away from that, but middle 6 forward is starting to seem like a floor for this guy and even if we assume that's the most likely outcome, there is still real potential for something more. I think he absolutely can/does drive play. He's more than capable of cutting the through the neutral zone and transitioning the puck over the blueline, and once in the zone, his bread and butter is getting the puck along the wall and taking it straight to scoring areas, whether that be through driving hard to the net, maneuvering to finding a shooting lane, or hitting a teammate with a pass.
He drives play at the NCAA level. If you watched the EP video on him though you'd know they don't expect those skills to carry over to the NHL game. You are just huffing the hopium on the prospects.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UaHigeA2T8
I’m more than happy to drink the Kool Aid. I absolutely see him reaching his ceiling and becoming a top 6 fwd, can’t wait to see him in a Leafs uni.
DeletedACGMAccount et Leafsleaks123 a aimé ceci.
Répondre
Knies,
CapFriendly
CapFriendly