Welcome back.

It’s time to kick off Daily Faceoff’s second annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Skaters over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re looking at the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Like every team going all-in each year, the Toronto Maple Leafs have sacrificed the future to do whatever it takes to win.

But, of course, with just one playoff series win in the Salary Cap Era, it’s been a rough go. The team is in Year 2 with GM Brad Treliving and starting fresh with Craig Berube as coach, so there’s hope they can eventually make the long wait worth it. Personally, I’m not too convinced, but I am glad they at least have a fresh voice leading the bench after years of falling apart in the first round.

The Leafs have struggled to land a big-name prospect for quite some time. Getting Matthew Knies at No. 57 in 2021 was a big win, but the team has struggled to get full-time NHLers over the past few years. Easton Cowan was one of the best prospects in hockey this year, which, after all the question marks about watching him go as high as he did, has to feel good for the scouting department (Wes Clark, who was the team’s head scout, is now in Pittsburgh).

For a deeper look on each prospect, check out The Leafs Nation’s current ongoing series taking a look at the top 20 prospects in the team’s system. For now, here’s a look at the top 10:

Biggest Strengths

There’s a mindset in hockey that you can find bottom-six depth players via free agency. But having a few homegrown options you can develop out of an entry-level contract is just as good, if not better. The Leafs have an abundance of that, starting with Fraser Minten, the team’s second-best prospect. With him, you can see a guy who battles so hard and does so many things well, and throwing him in the bottom six is exactly what will allow him to thrive. I like Ryan Tverberg for a similar role, although with a lesser impact. Nikita Grebenkin could give the team some solid third-line scoring, while Nicholas Moldenhauer, Roni Hirvonen and Jacob Quillan have their own unique talents that would make them desirable in those roles.

Biggest Weakness

Despite making a solid pickup in Ben Danford this year, the Leafs lack a real difference-maker on the point. I think both he and Topi Niemela could end up on the bottom pairing, or maybe Niemela earns some power-play time eventually. But they have their strengths and weaknesses and I don’t see either of them straying from the path. Patching up the blueline in the draft is going to be hard with a lack of picks, so don’t expect this to change anytime soon. But maybe I’ll be wrong and both Danford and Niemela will develop into more crucial pieces – I just don’t think any scouts expect that to happen.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Brad Treliving
Dir. of Amateur Scouting: Mark Leach
Dir. of Player Development: Danielle Goyette
AHL Affiliate: Toronto Marlies
ECHL Affiliate: Cincinnati Cyclones

*Fraser Minten (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Easton Cowan, C, 19 (London, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 28th overall, first round in 2023

Cowan is a monster. He easily was the OHL playoff MVP with 24 assists and 34 points in 18 games in a year which also saw him win the Red Tilson Trophy as the league’s most outstanding player. He had an incredible 15 points in just four championship series games and had at least two points in nine of his final 10 games. Since going 28th to Toronto last summer, Cowan has shown why the Leafs made the right call taking him when they did – his game has just taken major steps forward over the past year. This year, look for Cowan to potentially start the year with Toronto before heading back to London, and then play a large role with Canada’s World Junior Championship team in Ottawa.

2. Fraser Minten, C, 20 (Toronto, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 38th overall, second round in 2022

What a year it was for Minten, who started the NHL season with a four-game stint with the Leafs. Minten was loaned back to the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers after failing to register a point in four games. The whole idea was to give him more experience against top-level competition before letting him break loose back against his own age group. He immediately put up 10 points in seven games with the Blazers before the team moved their captain to Saskatoon in the fall, hoping to chase a Memorial Cup experience. Minten had 19 goals and 38 points in 36 games, primarily playing with Leafs draft pick Brandon Lisowsky. The Blazers came short in the playoffs, but Minten capped off his fourth major junior season with 14 points in 16 playoff games – two behind his output from his draft year. While Minten seems primed for a long-term role on the third line, I think his attention to detail and two-way play will make him good at that.

3. Topi Niemelä, RHD, 22 (Toronto, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 64th overall, third round in 2020

*Topi Niemela (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

I have cooled a bit on Niemelä, someone I really believed in a few years ago. I still think he can be an NHLer, but I want to see him take that next step sooner rather than later. He just finished his first year with the Marlies, so he’s still got some time, and I was happy with what I saw. As the season wore on, Niemelä’s confidence grew exponentially. He was the team’s go-to power-play D-man, something he wasn’t used to in Karpat. But he didn’t fold under the extra responsibility, giving him some more oomph in his toolset. The one thing scouts have noted frequently is Niemelä’s work ethic. He’s always rushing around, pushing the envelope and fighting for the puck no matter what. And while Niemelä isn’t always successful – he lacks the pure strength you’re looking for out of a future NHL defenseman – he’s always looking to improve.

4. Nikita Grebenkin, LW, 21 (Toronto, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 135th overall, fifth round in 2022

Grebenkin recently completed his 2023-24 KHL regular season with a career-best 19 goals and 41 points with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He had 26 points in 52 games last year between Magnitogorsk and Amur as a 20-year-old, helping make a name for himself as a potential late-blooming steal. The 6-foot-2, 192-pound winger is a strong playmaker, seeing the ice well and finding his teammates on the rush. He has good speed, but is just as effective in slow bursts in tight situations. One of the biggest areas of improvement is his net-front game. Whether it’s making a pass or just getting in the way, Grebyonkin holds his own. He’s not one to shove guys around and create a ruckus, though.

5. Ben Danford, RHD, 18 (Oshawa, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 31st overall, first round in 2024

For a defenseman with Danford’s offensive abilities, it’s crazy he had just one goal during the regular season with Oshawa. But he’s a guy his teammates like to rely on because he’s rarely caught making a mistake distributing the puck. I saw Danford play both sides on the blueline last year, but I think he’s got something going on the left side – it fits his shot better. Danford said he hopes to be like Chris Tanev, which is not an unrealistic comparison. I think Danford will be an NHL player, but I want to see him add another element to his offensive game first.

6. Dennis Hildeby, G, 22 (Toronto, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 122nd overall, fourth round in 2022

*Dennis Hildeby (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Consistent goaltending has been difficult to come by for the Leafs, a group that has cycled through options since Ed Belfour left the club in 2006. I’m not sure if Hildeby is the answer, but there’s still a lot to like here. The Maple Leafs took the 6-foot-7 Swedish monster with the 122nd overall pick in 2022 – as a triple overager. For much of the year, Hildeby was a huge part of the Marlies, stealing the No. 1 spot and even earning a call-up to the NHL when Ilya Samsonov was briefly sat to regroup in the winter. The Leafs don’t need to rush Hildeby, and it seems doubtful they’d want two goalies with limited NHL experience leading the charger for a group with high expectations. But if Hildeby keeps playing the way he is with the Marlies, he’ll at least make the decision spicy.

7. Noah Chadwick, LHD, 19 (Lethbridge, WHL)

Acquired: Drafted 185th overall, sixth round in 2023

It’s extremely rare to see a sixth-round pick sign an NHL contract six months after getting drafted, but that’s exactly what happened to Chadwick. And it’s understandable – it’s early, but he’s looking like a legitimate steal. Chadwick had 20 points as a rookie but blasted to 44 assists and 56 points in 66 games this past year, showing value as a puck-moving blueliner with good hockey IQ. He’s also 6-foot-4, and while he needs to move his feed more frequently, I think he’s got the raw talent to be a serious contender to make the team one day. Chadwick should be in the hunt to make Canada’s World Junior Championship roster, which had to have been a pipedream just 12 months ago for the young defender. I’m excited to see what he does as a leader with the Hurricanes this year.

8. Ryan Tverberg, RW, 22 (Toronto, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 213th overall, seventh round in 2020

After finishing his junior season with Connecticut last season, Tverberg had a fairly uneventful seven-game stint as a depth player for Toronto. But the start of the 2023-24 season proved to be fruitful, registering eight points in his first nine games. He didn’t play in November due to injuries, but everything started to fall back into place in January – he finished the year with 32 points in 46 games. Tverberg’s work ethic is what scouts like, and it’s paying off. The 22-year-old winger has real bottom-line potential because he has had to spend his whole career trying to prove people wrong after getting drafted so late. I don’t think he’s ready yet, but his potential to be a role player is intriguing.

9. Nicholas Moldenhauer, RW, 20 (University of Michigan, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 95th overall, third round in 2022

*Nicholas Moldenhauer (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

Moldenhauer had his ups and downs as a rookie with the Wolverines, scoring eight goals and 21 points. He got better as the year wore on, though, and should see his role elevated next year as Michigan looks to challenge for a league title. While Moldenhauer never had top-six offensive potential, he has always looked like a well-rounded player who can be relied on at both ends. He has a good combination of two-way play, solid hockey IQ and physical play that made him dangerous at the junior level. Think peak Kyle Okposo.

10. Roni Hirvonen, LW, 22 (Toronto, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 59th overall, second round in 2020

Hirvonen spent last summer on the sidelines after an injury in development camp knocked him out for the summer. On Oct. 15, things turned from bad to worse when the Finnish winger took a stick to an eye in an AHL game against the Utica Comets. Hirvonen was rushed to the hospital, with his season up in the air. That’s quite a bit of adversity to deal with with only two meaningful games under your belt. But once he returned in the winter, Hirvonen looked refreshed and powerful. Still, it felt like a lost season, especially since he was just trying to get used to play outside of Finland for the first time in his pro career. Hirvonen will need a big effort to push himself forward this year because the talent is there, but we just need to see the results.

Other prospects: Jacob Quillan, C (22), Braeden Kressler, C (21), Miroslav Holinka, C (18), Sam McCue, LW (18), Alexander Plesovskikh, LW (18), Hudson Malinoski, C (20), Veeti Miettinen, RW (22), Joe Miller, LW (21), Wyatt Schingoethe, C (22), Victor Johansson, LHD (18), Matt Lahey, LHD (18), Nathan Mayes, LHD (18), John Fusco, LHD (23), Mikko Kokkonen, LHD (23), Cade Webber, LHD (23), William Villenueve, RHD (22), Artur Akhtyamov, G (22), Slava Peksa, G (21), Timofei Obvintsev, G (18)