Some days, it’s just very fun to follow Toronto’s prospects and Friday was one of them. It was a packed day, with most of Toronto’s best prospects in game action all over the world. In the morning/afternoon, we saw Topi Niemelä score his second goal of the season while playing a ton for Kärpat.

Then in the evening there were a ton of games.

Ty Voit scored a goal and had two primary assists, factoring in on all three of Sarnia’s goals in a 4-3 loss. He’s up to 6 goals and 17 points, putting him in sole possession of the OHL points lead by two.

Braeden Kressler finally made his season debut for Flint, and he scored one goal and had a primary assist on the overtime winner. A good start to his season after he’s dealt with a lot of injuries since the start of last season.

Fraser Minten also made his season debut for his team, Kamloops. He started lined up with Stankoven as the first line left winger, but still wound up winning 7/10 faceoffs so I think he was moved around as needed. He seized the opportunity with 1 goal and 2 assists — contributing to all three of Kamloops’ goals as they’re down 5-3 in the third period. A very good start for his season as well, making up for lost time.

Brandon Lisowsky scored in his third consecutive game, after not scoring a goal in his first seven games this year. He’s up to 4 goals and 9 points in 10 games for Saskatoon in the WHL.

Over in the USHL, Nicholas Moldenhauer continued his torrid start to the season. He had two assists in Chicago’s 5-4 win, bringing his season total to 9 goals and 13 points in just 9 games. His 9 goals leads the USHL by two, and his 13 points are good for second behind his own teammate.

Ryan Tverberg added a goal in UConn’s big win over the higher seeded and Hockey East rival, Boston University. Tverberg is up to 3 goals and 6 points in 7 games, helping lead UConn to a 6-0-1 record — their best ever start in the school’s history. They’ve been moving up the rankings in the NCAA all year.

Veeti Miettinen had an assist in St. Cloud’s big 3-2 win over the 2nd ranked school in the NCAA, Minnesota State. Miettinen is up to 1 goal and 5 assists in 5 games to start his season.

And we’ll end it off in style, with Matthew Knies. He had 1 goal and 1 assist in Minnesota’s 3-2 overtime win over rival North Dakota, which will help them maintain their top rank in the NCAA for now. He’s up to 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 games to start the year. Knies’ goal tonight happened to be the overtime winner, and it was classic Knies.

And even though he did not have a point on Minnesota’s tying goal with the goalie pulled and less than 2 minutes in the game, he was a big factor in it. This screenshot is right before the goal was scored... if you’re wondering which one is Knies, he’s the guy in the white jersey in the far faceoff circle, with THREE defenders right by him — leaving the middle lane of the ice wide open. Not great defense, but that’s the kind of respect Knies has been drawing from defenses this year.

Analyzing a change in Nick Robertson that will make him a permanent NHLer | by Justin Bourne at Sportsnet

Leafs’ Reverse Retro 2.0 jersey offers fresh spin on a classic look | by TLN

Sheldon Keefe on his team’s performance through five games: “Whether it is at five-on-five or on the power play, we haven’t started to click yet… We will.” | by MLHS

What Jake Muzzin’s ominous injury might mean for Maple Leafs’ defence | by The Athletic

Have a great Saturday everyone!

From The Branches