We’ve finished the second week of our 2020 Top 25 Under 25: Winter Edition, and it’s time once again to discuss the community vote. You’re all wrong. See you next week.

OK fine...

Let’s look at where you ranked them and compare to our experts’ rankings. What stands out to me in this mushy middle group is the community heavily favoured older and more experienced prospects over the younger up and comers and new draft picks.

We had Egor Korshkov and Denis Malgin far below your rankings, and not because we all continually forget Denis Malgin exists (glares at today’s FTB) but because these older prospects were ranked based on their age as a near definitive indication that what we’ve seen from them recently is their maximum, or near-maximum potential. Players like Adam Brooks, Egor Korshkov and Denis Malgin are pretty well at their ceiling.

This is a great time to remind everyone that Korshkov is actually one year older than Malgin. It’s true! Korshkov is 24 and Malgin is 23. My brain can never retain that information. For some reason I always picture Korshkov to be something like 21, and Malgin to be 27.

Then there’s 24 year-old Adam Brooks who we dropped off the rankings all together. He’ll be over 25 by next year’s list so this was his last. The community ranked him way up at #14 as a graduation present.

As noted in today’s FTB, these three players will be fighting over one or two spots with several other players to simply make the Leafs “taxi squad”, never mind actually being on the regular playing roster. That to me does not indicate a ranking anywhere near the top 10, or even the top 15.

To summarise our ranking vs. yours, we see a lot of hot shot prospects quickly moving up the ranks right now like Mikhail Abramov, Rodion Amirov, Roni Hirvonen, and Fillip Hallander. Brooks, Korshkov, and Malgin look like they are standing still next to them. I wonder if it’s time for someone like Brooks to do what Dmytro Timashov did and ask to go on waivers so he can get an NHL job. He would make the top-9 forwards on several other teams in the league, and the top-6 on one or two of them.

The Community Rankings vs. PPP Expert Rankings

#22 Ian Scott
Our Rank: Not ranked by any voter

Winter T25U25: #22 Veeti “The Meat God” Miettinen

#21 Joseph Duszak
Our Rank: Honourable Mention (#29)

Winter T25U25 #21: Artur Akhtyamov is the only goalie on our list

#20 Joseph Woll
Our Rank: Not ranked by any voter

#19 Mac Hollowell
Our Rank: #24

Winter T25U25: #20 Denis Malgin & #19 Dmitri Ovchinnikov

#18 Nicholas Abruzzese
Our Rank: #16

#17 Mikko Kokkonen
Our Rank: #13

#16 Semyon Der-Arguchintsev
Our Rank: #18

#15 Denis Malgin
Our Rank: #20

#14 Adam Brooks
Our Rank: Honourable Mention (#26)

#13 Mikhail Abramov
Our Rank: #10

Winter T25U25: understanding the mushy middle between 13 and 18

#12  Filip Hallander
Our Rank: #8
We learned today he has made arrangements to stay on loan to Lulea in the Swedish Hockey League and play out the balance of this season there. He will be ready to go for the Leafs next season.

#11 Joey Anderson
Our Rank: #14
It will be a be a tight squeeze for this relatively highly ranked prospect to make the Leafs taxi squad, which says a lot about the chances of Brooks, Korshkov and Malgin.

#10 Egor Korshkov
Our Rank: #17
I wonder if Korshkov will make an arrangement like Hallander. This is apparently very complicated and depends on the loan agreement which no one has seen except his agent and the Leafs management.

Winter T25U25: #12-10, Topi Niemela, Roni Hirvonen, and Mikhail Abramov

Next Week

Our big reveal of the top nine rankings is starting on Monday and continues through December 24th. That’s a lot of players to cover in only a few days, but a highlight will be our post on Rodion Amirov who will get one day all to himself, and, as I mentioned before, more than one voter placed him in the top five, meaning above one or both of Nick Robertson and Rasmus Sandin. The big reveal of #1, #2, and #3 will be our gift to you on Christmas Eve. Unlike last year, where #2 and #3 were a tie, one player cleanly captured second place this year. Come to the comments prepared to argue about it!

Do you think Korshkov, Malgin, and Brooks should be in the top 15 part of the list?

Yes. All three deserve to be in the top 15.18
I think only two of those three should be in the top 15.44
I think only one of those three should be in the top 15.126
None of them should be in the top 15.83
Top 25 Under 25