The Toronto Maple Leafs managed to come up with 12 draft picks in total for the 2020 draft, and they also acquired Filip Hållander in trade before the draft. They suddenly have a lot of prospects and most of them are very young.
Let’s just go right to the list:
Maple Leafs Prospects Post 2020 Draft
| Name | Birthdate | Pos | 2019/2020 Team | 2020/2021 Team | Rights Expire |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Miller | September 15, 2002 | F | Blake School, USHS-Min | Chicago Steel, USHL | August 15, 2025 |
| Dmitri Ovchinnikov | August 19, 2002 | F | Sibir, Novosibirsk, KHL/MHL | Sibir, Novosibirsk, KHL/MHL | Indefinite |
| Wyatt Schingoethe | August 3, 2002 | C | Waterloo Black Hawks, USHL | Univ. of Denver, NCAA | August 15, 2025 |
| Topi Niemelä | May 25, 2002 | RD | Kärpät, Liiga | Kärpät, U20 SM-sarja | June 1, 2024 |
| William Villeneuve | March 20, 2002 | RD | Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL | Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL | June 1, 2022 |
| Ryan Tverberg | January 30, 2002 | C | Toronto Jr Canadiens, OJHL | Toronto Jr Canadiens, OJHL | August 15, 2025 |
| Roni Hirvonen | January 10, 2002 | C | Ässät, Liiga | Ässät, Liiga | June 1, 2024 |
| Artur Akhtyamov | October 31, 2001 | G | Irbis Kazan, MHL | Ak Bars, KHL - VHL/MHL | Indefinite |
| Rodion Amirov | October 2, 2001 | LW | Salavat Yulaev Ufa, KHL - VHL/MHL | Salavat Yulaev Ufa, KHL - VHL | Indefinite |
| Veeti Miettinen | September 20, 2001 | RW | Kiekko-Espoo, Jr A SM-Liiga | St. Cloud State, NCAA | June 1, 2024 |
| Nick Robertson | September 11, 2001 | LW | Peterboroough Petes, OHL | ??? | NHL Contract - still junior eligible |
| John Fusco | June 12, 2001 | LD | Dexter School, USHL-Prep | Harvard, NCAA | August 15, 2024 |
| Mike Koster | April 13, 2001 | D | Tri-City Storm, USHL | University of Minnesota, NCAA | August 15, 2024 |
| Mikhail Abramov | March 26, 2001 | C | Victoriaville Tigres, QMJHL | Victoriaville Tigres, QMJHL | NHL Contract - still junior eligible |
| Kalle Loponen | March 13, 2001 | D | Sudbury Wolves, OHL (Loan from Kärpät) | Kärpät, Liiga | June 1, 2023 |
| Mikko Kokkonen | January 18, 2001 | D | Jukurit, Liiga | Jukurit, Liiga | June 1, 2023 |
| Semyon Der-Arguchintsev | September 15, 2000 | C | Peterboroough Petes, OHL | ??? | NHL Contract - AHL eligible in 2020/2021 |
| Filip Hållander | June 29, 2000 | LW | Lulea, SHL | Lulea, SHL | NHL Contract - on loan |
| Axel Rindell | April 23, 2000 | RD | Jukurit, Liiga/U20 SM-sarja | Jukurit, Liiga/U20 SM-sarja | June 1, 2022 |
| Semyon Kizimov | January 19, 2000 | RW | Lada Togliatti, VHL | Torpedo, Nizhny Novgorod, KHL | Indefinite |
| Filip Král | October 20, 1999 | D | Spokane Chiefs, WHL | HC Prerov, Czech2 | NHL Contract - AHL eligible in 2020/2021 |
| Nick Abruzzese | June 4, 1999 | F | Harvard, NCAA | Harvard, NCAA | August 15, 2023 |
| Ryan O'Connell | April 25, 1999 | D | Ohio State, NCAA | Ohio State, NCAA | August 15, 2022 |
| Eemeli Räsänen | April 6, 1999 | D | Jokerit, KHL | HPK, Liiga | Indefinite |
| Pontus Holmberg | March 9, 1999 | LW/C | Växjö HC, SHL | Växjö HC, SHL | June 1, 2022 |
| J.D. Greenway | April 27, 1998 | D | University of Maine, NCAA | University of Maine, NCAA | August 15, 2021 |
| Vladislav Kara | April 20, 1998 | C/W | Ak Bars KHL/Bars Kazan VHL | Severstal Cherepovets, KHL | Indefinite |
| Nikolai Chebykin | August 1, 1997 | LW | Toros Neftekamsk/Traktor Chelyabinsk, VHL | Toros Neftekamsk/Traktor Chelyabinsk, VHL | Indefinite |
| Vladimir Bobylev | April 18, 1997 | C | Toros Neftekamsk/Traktor Chelyabinsk, VHL | Toros Neftekamsk/Traktor Chelyabinsk, VHL | Indefinite |
The rights expiration is from Cap Friendly, and is as of the best of their information. I don’t actually know why Axel Rindell is listed as two-years of rights, although I assume it’s his age at the draft.
There is the potential that NCAA players will have their rights extended by a year because their college eligibility will be extended if they play in this coming season, under a one-time rule.
A few players on NHL contracts have been kept on this list until we have certainty about where they will play this season.
Some, perhaps many, players in Europe will move between junior and senior ranks of teams as needs arise. Rodion Amirov is likely to move between the KHL and VHL a lot.
So far, no NCAA, USHL, OHL or WHL teams have begun to play. Some QMJHL teams are playing, some are on pause until the end of October when the situation will be reviewed.
All levels of hockey in most European countries are underway, some with regular interruptions and postponements.
Kyle Dubas recently said he does not expect any more of the Leafs prospects to be loaned to Europe, as the situation there is too irregular, and many leagues are not interested in short-term loans.
With only one player’s rights expiring next year, the Maple Leafs have no pressing decisions to make, and no real need to start signing prospects to contracts. With Amirov under contract in the KHL to April 30, he will likely sign his ELC in May.
Even when you disregard the older prospects on the bottom of the list, there’s a lot of potential there for the next few years. The Leafs currently have five picks in the 2021 draft, including the first.
