UPDATED — July 14th

Toronto has finally released their full roster for their development camp starting on Sunday. Here is the roster:

Unlike most NHL teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs are hosting their development camp for their prospects next week — while others seem to be having theirs this week. If you were like me and wondering why Toronto was the only team to not release any information about their development camp, this is likely the main reason why.

You can expect most of Toronto’s own non-European prospects to be a part of the dev camp, and maybe a few of their Euro prospects as well. But on top of that, they will also be inviting some undrafted prospects to participate. Those who do well may also be invited to their Traverse City Rookie Tournament later in the summer. There is also a chance that if one of them really wows the Toronto management, they could be signed to an ELC like Braeden Kressler was last year.

While the official roster has not been released yet, we know of some who have been invited to the dev camp according to various sources.

MARCUS NGUYEN

Position: Right wing

Team: Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 172 lbs

Birthdate: August 2nd, 2004

2021/22 Stats: 22 goals, 18 assists, 40 points in 68 games

I wrote about Nguyen as my top choice for Toronto to target with their 7th round pick. I thought for sure he’d be taken earlier than the 7th round, but he wound up going completely undrafted. His point totals were pretty good, especially for a forward playing a depth role on a stacked team. He averaged only 12-13 minutes per night, making his even strength point and primary point rate one of the league’s best for his age group. He’s the guy I’d most want to have signed to an ELC, if Toronto is going to go that route.

Here’s a blurb on Nguyen from Western Canada scout Joel Henderson:

Simply put, Marcus has been one of the best 5on5 players in the entire WHL this season since he only averages around 12 minutes of ice time per game. The only reason he isn’t playing higher in the lineup is due to the quality of the teammates in front of him. I have no doubt in my mind that he would thrive if he played 18-20 minutes a night regularly. He can deliver quick one-touch passes, drop passes, slip passes, and play in the flow in a team style approach if you’d like him to. He can also burst away from pressure in small windows or big ones to create shooting lanes and opportunities for himself to score. His shot release and accuracy are incredible too. My favorite part about his game though is his willingness to not back down in the physical aspects too. He will beat defenders into the corners, and then engage physically to separate them from the puck in order to gather possession. He’s been one of my favorite players to watch this year and this might even be too low for him.

KASPER LARSEN

Position: Left defense

Team: Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 231 lbs

Birthdate: September 23rd, 2002

2021/22 Stats: 8 goals, 35 assists, 43 points in 57 games

Larsen is a very big defenseman from Denmark, who went undrafted last year after playing in the Danish pro league. He joined the OHL this year for the first time as an import, and played on the top pair for a pretty good Mississauga team. He has decent but not great skating for his size, but despite being a rank below a behemoth he has better offense than defense. I haven’t seen a lot of him, but I did almost include him on my 7th round overagers to target.

Here’s a quote from Brock Otten, a scout who has a lot of knowledge of prospects in the OHL:

A first year defender from Denmark, Larsen was terrific for the Steelheads this year. He formed a great partnership with Ethan Del Mastro on Mississauga’s top pairing and also quarterbacked the powerplay. The 6’6 Dane has good offensive instincts, which is what makes him a capable powerplay QB. His footwork really improved over the course of the year too. While he’s a big guy and can play a physical game, he’s truly more of a puck mover and stronger in the offensive zone currently. Which would probably surprise people given his profile.

SEAN MCGURN

Position: Center

Team: London Knights (OHL)

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 170 lbs

Birthdate: July 30th, 2002

2021/22 Stats: 20 goals, 53 assists, 73 points in 66 games

Sean McGurn is an interesting prospect, but he’d still be a long shot. He is a D+2 player who played as London’s top line center, between two top prospects in Luke Evangelista and Antonio Stranges. I have not seen a single game of his, but some early reports from his rookie season gives him high praise for his leadership and intelligence. And we know how much Toronto loves their hockey IQ!

McGurn did have some small honours for his season. He was a finalist for centres on the OHL All-Star Voting Finalists. He also was third in the OHL’s western conference for most improved players in a poll of OHL coaches. Seems like a nicely versatile player in junior with transitions as his biggest strength.

DYLAN JACKSON

Position: Right wing

Team: Arizona State (NCAA)

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 165 lbs

Birthdate: September 6th, 2001

2021/22 Stats: 22 goals, 18 assists, 40 points in 68 games

TY JACKSON

Position: Center

Team: Arizona State (NCAA)

Height: 5’8”

Weight: 161 lbs

Birthdate: September 6th, 2001

2021/22 Stats: 6 goals, 14 assists, 20 points in 28 games

Writing the blurb on Dylan and Ty Jackson together because they are twin brothers! They’re both D+3 players who played for Northeastern University, and have switched colleges to Arizona State. They’re from Oakville, Ontario though so they’re local kids. Both are smaller forwards, with Ty being the smallest who also played a full season with decent numbers while Dylan seemed to be hurt for most of the season. They originally played in the USHL for Dubuque, so I’m guessing this is a Ryan Hardy’s find. Neither of them are likely to be signed to an ELC just because they are NCAA commitments, and once they turn pro they cannot return to the NCAA.

T.J. SEMPTIMPHELTER

Position: Goalie

Team: Northeastern University (NCAA)

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 190 lbs

Birthdate: May 9th, 2002

2021/22 Stats: 8 games, 2.05 GAA, .934 sv%, 4-3-0 record

Semptimphelter fills an important void for the Toronto Maple Leafs as a prospect with a long and impossible to spell name that we haven’t had since Carter Verwharblgarbl was part of the Michael Grabner trade. He’s a D+2 goalie who played on Northeastern University in the NCAA as the backup to top goalie Devon Levi, and who is also moving to Arizona State University for next season. He had a limited number of starts on a very good, and very good defensive team, but in 8 games he had a .934 sv% which ain’t too shabby. He is also likely not going to sign an ELC now, but it may be the Leafs taking an extended look at him to build a relationship and maybe sign him once his NCAA career is done.

MATHEW WARD

Position: Center

Team: Swift Current Broncos (WHL)

Height: 5’8”

Weight: 157 lbs

Birthdate: January 24th, 2002

2021/22 Stats: 64 games, 22 goals, 35 assists

I was really tempted to write about Ward for a lot of the season. He’s a short king, and I love short kings. As a 17 year old he led his team in points by 10 — Swift Current is a very young, rebuilding, and therefore bad team in the WHL. He was one of Swift Current’s standout prospects along with Owen Pickering. He was part of Team Canada’s depleted roster at the World U18s, and had 2 points in 4 games.

While I like his kind of player, he just didn’t seem to have a high enough level of skill and especially skating to make me think he was anything but a long shot to make the NHL. 5’8” players have to make up for their size in other ways. I do think Ward is fun though, and if he finds a way to add another gear or has a delayed “bone age” that helps him add 2-3 inches he could be a late bloomer like Abruzzese.

JEREMY WILMER

Position: Center

Team: Tri-City Storm (USHL)

Height: 5’7”

Weight: 141 lbs

Birthdate: August 16th, 2003

2021/22 Stats: 60 games, 25 goals, 73 assists

Jeremy Wilmer is someone I wrote about as an overager target in the 7th round. He led the USHL in scoring, and even though he was already a D+1 overager going into the draft this year he had a later August 16th birthday, making him relatively young. He’s your classic small, zippy forward who excels more as a perimeter playmaker than a goalscorer. He’s a commit to join Boston University in the NCAA next year, so don’t expect him to sign an ELC now.

TYLER DUKE

Position: Left defense

Team: US NTDP

Height: 5’9”

Weight: 179 lbs

Birthdate: July 19th, 2004

2021/22 Stats: 78 games, 5 goals, 24 assists

Tyler Duke is a bit of an unusual option. Right now, his strengths are more as a defensive defenseman, which makes you raise an eyebrow at his 5’9” height. But he does have potential in all areas of the game, and his lack of points and size is likely why he went undrafted despite being one of the most impactful defensemen in the very competitive US NTDP team. He’s committed to Ohio State in the NCAA, so he’s another case where he is very unlikely to sign an ELC now when it would end his NCAA career before it began.

If you want a more thorough breakdown of his game, you can check out Will Scouch’s video.

SAM ALFANO

Position: Right wing

Team: Peterborough Petes (OHL)

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 205 lbs

Birthdate: January 18th, 2004

2021/22 Stats: 65 games, 13 goals, 12 assists

Alfano is a big winger who had a disappointing season compared to the expectations going into the year. He was part of Hockey Canada’s summer camps, and we know how much hockey people love them some 6’3” power forwards. He plays a power forward style, but does have some skill — but as is often the case, skating is an issue with him even in junior and he didn’t make the improvements expected of him.  I would not expect him to get an ELC.

PANO FIMIS

Position: Center

Team: Niagara Ice Dogs (OHL)

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 176 lbs

Birthdate: June 17th, 2004

2021/22 Stats: 54 games, 14 goals, 30 assists

Fimis is an interesting forward prospect out of the OHL. He played on a very bad and very dysfunctional Niagara team, but had some exceptional microstats to go along with just okay point totals. His point rate with his ice time is 21st in the OHL for U18s, but his impacts were much greater. He’s someone I would think about for an ELC, if Toronto thinks that his underlying numbers are more indicative of who he will be in the future when the team around him isn’t so bad.

Here’s a blurb from Elite Prospects’ draft guide, who had him ranked 48th in their final rankings.

By the end of the season, Fimis was a legitimate playmaker, one capable of displacing defenders with deception, handling moves, and planned movements to create passing lanes to teammates. He skated and passed with more purpose, and in turn, become a better offensive generator for Niagara.

When making our draft board, we gambled that what Fimis showed in the last months will become the norm for him as soon as next year. His play should become more consistent as the Icedogs become a stronger and more structured offensive team.

To become an NHL-level playmaker, however, Fimis will have to further develop his anticipation, especially away from the puck. By better timing his movements inside pockets of space, he will be able to facilitate many of his line’s plays, and in turn, improve his give-and-go game and generate more scoring chances.

AVERY HAYES

Position: Center/right wing

Team: Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 174 lbs

Birthdate: October 10th, 2002

2021/22 Stats: 66 games, 41 goals, 38 assists

Hayes was a D+2 overager this year playing a leading offensive role for the Hamilton Bulldogs, who were a powerhouse in the OHL. They won the OHL championship, and lost in the Memorial Cup finals to Saint John. He was one of the OHL’s top goal scorers in the regular season, and in the playoffs he went HAM — scoring 14 goals and 34 points in just 16 games. At some point, he had a goal in every single goal of the playoffs and Memorial Cup until the finals. He has developed a strong and consistent skill game and improved his skating, which was a big weakness before.

Here’s a quote from the EP draft guide:

With the playmaking, Hayes brings flashy, yet projectable puckhandling and shooting. The off-puck instincts that put him in the middle of plays last season became increasingly used to place him at the end of the sequence. Without fail, he knocks down tricky passes into two-touch wristers and fires contortionist-like one-timers when necessary.

BEAU JELSMA

Position: Left wing

Team: Barrie Colts (OHL)

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 174 lbs

Birthdate: April 28th, 2004

2021/22 Stats: 68 games, 27 goals, 20 assists

Jelsma is a lesser version of Fimis, to me. He is similar age, size and profile, but his impacts are lower, especially on transitions. He played behind older and better centers for the year, however, so he also produced more goals and points in less ice time. He also got about an equal amount of praise from scouts overall from the eye-test. He’s a good skater, goal scorer, and defensive winger in the OHL thanks in part to being one of those “energy” guys. Here’s a blurb from Will Scouch:

Beau Jelsma is one of the more underrated OHLers in my view. High pace, slippery under pressure, hard worker at both ends, just a player I admire watching even if his upside is somewhat limited.

MATHIEU DE ST. PHALLE

Position: Forward

Team: University of Wisconsin (NCAA)

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 163 lbs

Birthdate: March 20th, 2000

2021/22 Stats: 36 games, 10 goals, 12 assists

Your token Chicago Steel invite — not counting any prospects already drafted or signed by the Leafs. De St. Phalle is a D+3 overager, and is a smaller forward who has two seasons in the NCAA under his belt, and took a big step forward this season in terms of his production. He actually tied for the team lead in points, so while 22 points in 36 games doesn’t look great, Wisconsin had a real bad/unhealthy year after Cole Caufield joined the NHL last year. Here’s a quote from EP’s 2020 NHL Draft Guide:

He‘s a creative offensive player who makes quick decisions and acts decisively. Mathieu likes to have the puck on his stick and has no qualms leading the attack into the offensive zone. He displays interesting shot selections, the kind that allows his team to maintain possession or earn a rebound attempt

RYAN MCALLISTER

Position: Forward

Team: Brooks Bandits (AJHL)

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 183 lbs

Birthdate: December 19th, 2001

2021/22 Stats: 60 games, 57 goals, 82 assists

McAllister was a D+2 overager this year, playing in the AJHL in Alberta before he was set to join Western Michigan in the NCAA next year. The AJHL is a weaker junior league, used mostly by Canadian players who want to go the NCAA route and cannot play in the CHL to preserve their eligibility. Brooks was a powerhouse team this year, in part thanks to McAllister. He led the league in points with 139 — leading by 12 over his teammate. In fact, the top four point producers in the league were all on Brooks, and the difference between him and 5th is 54 points.

He added 29 points in 13 playoff games, and another 18 points in 6 games for the Centennial Cup — which is basically the Memorial Cup equivalent for Junior A leagues like the AJHL. So in total, he had 186 points in 79 games this season. It was a record setting season for him. On the other hand, someone who’s turning 21 in December should be dominating a junior A league. Since he’s an NCAA commit, he’s also unlikely to sign an ELC.

RAYAN BETTAHAR

Position: Left defense

Team: Swift Current Broncos (WHL)

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 201 lbs

Birthdate: February 22nd, 2004

2021/22 Stats: 63 games, 1 goal, 14 assists

Bettahar is a left shot defenseman from Germany who played as an import on the young, rebuilding and bad Swift Current team in the WHL. He played around 15-16 minutes a night, and as you can see from his point totals he profiles more as a defensive defenseman. He plays a very physical game, making him a bit of a throwback. He played on Germany’s World U18s squad and picked up two points, but was more noted for the many players he squared up. I wouldn’t bet on him getting an ELC.

DUNCAN RAMSAY

Position: Left defense

Team: Kimball Union Academy (US Prep Highschool)

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 205 lbs

Birthdate: February 8th, 2004

2021/22 Stats: 33 games, 5 goals, 22 assists

Ramsay is another NCAA commit, but he won’t be joining until the 2023/24 season. He played this past season as the captain of a US Prep Highschool team, and this coming season he will join the BCHL — a Junior A league like the AJHL. In high school, Ramsay finished 7th on his team in points, tied for most among defensemen. In terms of all US Prep Highschool players, he finished 157th. It tends to be a higher scoring level, making his production... okay. I wouldn’t bet on an ELC.

MICHAEL RENWICK

Position: Right defense

Team: Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 187 lbs

Birthdate: January 26th, 2002

2021/22 Stats: 67 games, 11 goals, 18 assists

Renwick was a D+2 overage defenseman this year playing for Windsor, one of the top teams in the league. His point totals aren’t that great even for a player two years younger, but where he shines is as a defensive defenseman and on transitions. Despite the nice looking microstats, being an average sized overage defenseman with little to no offense is not a great sign of his future potential. He could turn into an AHL/ECHL defenseman down the line, but I wouldn’t bet on an ELC for him.

GRAYDEN SIEPMANN

Position: Right defense

Team: Calgary Hitmen (OHL)

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 185 lbs

Birthdate: May 26th, 2004

2021/22 Stats: 66 games, 9 goals, 16 assists

Siepmann was a first time draft eligible defenseman this year, playing on the Calgary Hitmen. He has some skills and reportedly improved a fair amount by the end of the season. He didn’t have a ton of points, but profiles as a decent puck moving defenseman who can drive transitions more than he can generate goals directly. Watching some of his highlights, he is a good skater with solid puck handling, and enough deceptiveness to get through most defenses in the WHL already. He just seems to lack the final bit of skill to convert it into goals and assists at a high end rate. He played in all situations as a 17 year old, and has that “hockey IQ” that Toronto seems to love. He’s someone I can see getting an ELC if Toronto likes him enough.

Here’s a blurb from Western Canada scout, Joel Henderson at Puck Preps:

I always enjoy watching Grayden play. His skating is so purposeful and fluid which allows him to adapt to the evolving landscape in front of him. His balance and weight shifts let him move with proper body positioning to open himself to pass receptions or to pinch into the zones with the assurance that he can recover afterwards. At this point, he plays in all situations for Calgary and has the skating and the vision to play within the positive flow of the offense. He gets mostly full extensions on his skating stride, has ample reach and can protect the puck on skating transitions, and isn’t afraid to be physical and engage in the defensive zone. Essentially, he’s very smart, well-rounded, and a terrific skater.

NOAH VAN VLIET

Position: Left defense

Team: Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL) / Haliburton County Huskies (OJHL) / El Paso Rhinos (NAHL)

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 205 lbs

Birthdate: February 18th, 2004

2021/22 Stats: 43 games, 2 goals, 6 assists

Vliet is a bit of an add one. He played in three different leagues this year, almost evenly. He had 17 games in the NAHL, a Junior A like league in the USA. He played 15 games in the OJHL, a Junior A league in Ontario. And he got into 11 games in the OHL itself for the Hamilton Bulldogs. His games with Hamilton — who I mentioned before were the best team in the OHL — game at the end of the regular season, and he played an additional 17 games for them in their playoff run. He didn’t have any points, and played around 14 minutes a game. I’d call him a longshot to get an ELC, but his late appearance and rise on a top OHL team may have caught Toronto’s attention.

Here’s a blurb from OHL scout, Brock Otten:

A long shot to be drafted, but I felt the need to include Van Vliet as my final player ranked. There is a reason why he was called back up for the playoffs and had been playing over Jorian Donovan at times. I really don’t think the offensive upside is significant at all. However, he does do a good job of taking care of the puck and helping to clear the defensive zone. Just don’t expect him to be leading the rush or quarterbacking the powerplay. He will make his money in the defensive end with his size, mobility, and physicality combination. I think he has the potential to be one of the better stay at home defenders in the OHL by the time his graduation from the league occurs. He has been very impressive in limited action this year.

MARCO COSTANTINI

Position: Goalie

Team: Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 185 lbs

Birthdate: August 4th, 2002

2021/22 Stats: 45 games, 2.32 GAA, .917 sv%, 31-9-4 record

Costantini was Hamilton’s starting goalie for the year, and he finished as one of the OHL’s best goaltenders on the season. His .917 sv% led the league for all goalies of any age, though his .913 sv% trailed Luke Cavallin from the Flint Firebirds for the best in the playoffs. Funnily enough, Cavallin was signed by the Leafs to an AHL deal, so both goalies will be at this development camp. He’s a bit small for an NHL goalie, but that doesn’t necessarily matter as much. A smaller goalie can succeed if they have good athleticism, quick movements and good reads/vision of the play. I’m going to say they likely don’t sign him to an ELC, just because they have so many goalies already signed to ELCs or AHL deals in the system.

RASTISLAV ELIAS

https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/537895/rastislav-elias

Position: Goalie

Team: Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 176 lbs

Birthdate: April 18th, 2004

2021/22 Stats: 20 games, 4.49 GAA, .864 sv%, 8-9-0 record

Eliáš is a 6’3” goalie from Sloavkia, but who played in the USHL this season as an import. He’s been Slovakia’s main goalie in international tournaments for his age group, which has produced the best draft in their country’s history. In the USHL, his save percentage looks... well, bad. But it is actually 35th in the league, which is typically high scoring and bad for goalies. Only 9 goalies of any age had a save percentage above .900. For U18 goalies, he was 7th. And in international games this year, he had a .914 at the World U18s division 1 qualifying tournament and a perfect 5-0-0 record. At the Hlinka, he had an .891 sv% and lost in the gold medal final (and tanked his sv%) to the high powered Team Russia.

Toronto’s goalie scouting has been a bit odd, though scouting goalies already seems odd. I don’t think he’ll get an ELC for the same reasons I mentioned for Costantini, but their new goalie department may see something in him that intrigues them. I don’t know where Eliáš plans to play next season, as he has no NCAA commitment that I can see. He was not taken in the CHL import draft either, so he may be likely to return to the USHL or look for a spot in a European league.

And that’s it for the prospects invited to the Leafs’ development camp who are not already signed or drafted by Toronto. There are definitely some intriguing options. I don’t know if they will sign any of them to an ELC, given the limit of contracts they can sign and how many more they may want to use on NHL/AHL depth. But I think there is a decent chance they sign one.

Maple Leafs Prospects