There's more to the Maple Leafs depth than Matt Knies. He's taken up all the oxygen in prospect discussion, and rightly so now that he's actually on the team.
With his future plans settled, we can turn our attention to the rest of the prospects.
The Marlies are headed to the playoffs, and so far Ryan Tverberg, Dmitry Ovchinnikov, Dennis Hildeby and Topi Niemelä have joined the team. Several drafted prospects have played a full season with the Marlies this year.
Species
Other prospects under contract to the Leafs are:
Fraser Minten
Drafted in 2022, and still 18, Minten is with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL. They are in the second round of the playoffs, which starts on April 14. As host of the Memorial Cup, this year, they will be in action through to early June, so don't expect Minten to join the Marlies. He's missed playing time lately with an injury.
Roni Hirvonen
Drafted in 2020 and now 20 years old, Hirvonen is in the midst of the Liiga playoffs with HIFK, and now in the semifinals on the cusp of elimination. down three games to one.
Ty Voit
Drafted in 2021, and not yet 20, Voit is with the Sarnia Sting of the OHL. The Sting are in the second round, but not ultimate favourites. They will begin that series later this week.
Braeden Kressler
Signed as a free agent in 2021, and just 18, Kressler is with the Flint Firebirds of the OHL. They are also in the playoffs, and are tied at three games all with Saginaw. Their deciding game is today. The winner faces Sarnia in the next round.
In the category of drafted but not signed to an NHL contract are a list of older Russian players whose rights have not expired, but who are not properly considered prospects. The more recent draftees are:
Artur Akhtyamov
Drafted in 2020, and now 21, Akhtyamov spent this season in the VHL, getting 39 starts in the regular season and putting up a save % of .943. He played in six playoff games before his team was eliminated.
John Fusco
Drafted in 2020, and soon to be 22, Fusco plays in the NCAA for Dartmouth College after a prior season at Harvard. Dartmouth finished last in their conference.
Nikita Grebyonkin
Drafted in 2022 and now 20 years old, Grebyonkin played mostly in the KHL this year, on loan to a poorer quality team than his home club. He saw no playoff action this year.
Mike Koster
Drafted in 2019, and turning 22 in early April, Koster is a teammate of Matt Knies at the University of Minnesota. He's in his third year in the NCAA and showed well in the Frozen Four. We should expect him to return to college for next season.
Brandon Lisowsky
Drafted in 2022 and about to turn 19 in a few days, Lisowsky is with the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL. They finished third in their conference and are three games all with the Regina Pats in the first round. Their big game is today as well.
Kalle Loponen
Drafted in 2019 and now 22 years old, he played in the Liiga and Mestis this season. His rights expire on June 1, and I don't expect him to be signed to a contract.
Veeti Miettinen
Drafted in 2020 and now 21, Miettinen plays in the NCAA for St. Cloud State. They were beaten by Minnesota in the regional final, and Miettinen showed decently well in that game. He's in his third year in the NCAA.
Joe Miller
Drafted in 2020 and now 20 years old, Miller is the last man standing for the Harvard Crimson. Beaten out in the NCAA regionals, the top four scorers on the team all turned pro, leaving Miller the cream of their crop until next season's team is formed. He is in his first year in the NCAA after two years in the USHL.
Nicholas Moldenhauer
Drafted in 2022, and turning 19 in May, Moldenhauer spend his second season in the USHL with Chicago Steel. His team's regular season ends on April 22, and they lead their conference and are playoff bound. He is set to go to the University of Michigan next year.
Ryan O'Connell
Drafted in 2017, and in his fifth year in the NCAA, O'Connell's rights expire this August. I don't expect him to be signed.
Vyacheslav Peksa
Drafted in 2021 and turning 21 this summer, Peksa was a starter in the VHL and saw some playoff action with the junior team.
Josh Pillar
Acquired in the Ryan O'Reilly trade, Pillar is with the Saskatoon Blades along with Brandon Lisowsky. His rights expire this June, so the Leafs will need to make a decision about him soon.
Wyatt Schingoethe
Drafted in 2020, and turning 21 this summer, he is in his second year with Western Michigan University in the NCAA.
