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CHECK OUT RUSS COHEN’S NHLDRAFTBUZZ.COM FOR INFO ON PROSPECTS AND NEWS IN THE HOCKEY WORLD
The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has drafted and developed a number of youngsters currently playing in the NHL (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander), but the focus of prospect development under former GM Kyle Dubas and the last few seasons under Director of Amateur Scouting Wes Clark seemed to be on skill players, while GM Brad Treliving has begun to transition with a focus on young players with size.
As we did last year, we will rank the club’s top prospects over the upcoming weeks based on their progress in either the NCAA, CHL, Europe, ECHL or AHL and their potential to make the Leafs roster and contribute in the future.
Youngsters like Bobby McMann, Joseph Woll, Nick Robertson, Pontus Holmberg, and top-rated Matthew Knies have graduated, but here is a list of players eligible for the list who have not played more than 40 NHL games and are 25 years old or younger:
#40 - Wyatt Schingoethe – C (Western Michigan – NCAA)
#39 - Zach Solow - RW (Toronto - AHL)
#38 - Semyon Kizimov - RW -(Yekaterinberg - KHL)
#37 - Robert Mastrosimone – LW. (Toronto – AHL)
#36 - Marko Sikic – RW (Sarnia – OHL, Newfoundland/Norfolk – ECHL)
#35 – Jacob Bengtsson – D (Boston College – NCAA)
#34 – Nicolas Mattinen – D (Straubling – Germany-DEL)
#33 – Matthew Barbolini – F (Miami(OH) – NCAA, Toronto – AHL)
#32 – Nathan Mayes – D (Spokane – WHL)
#31 – Braeden Kressler – C (Flint/Ottawa – OHL
#30 – Jacob Frasca – C (Barrie/ Sault Ste. Marie.- OHL)
#29 – Chas Sharpe – D (Mississauga – OHL, Toronto – AHL)
#28 – Hudson Malinoski – C (Providence – NCAA)
#27 – John Fusco – D (Dartmouth – NCAA
#26 – Semyon Der-Argushintsev (Chelyabinsk Traktor – KHL)
#25 – Ty Voit – RW – (Newfoundland, ECHL, Toronto – AHL
#24 – Mikko Kokkonen – D – (Toronto – AHL)
#23 – Matt Lahey – D – (Nanaimo – BCHL)
#22 – Sam McCue – LW (Peterborough/Owen Sound – OHL)
#21 – Victor Johansson – D (Leksands Jr. – Sweden)
#20 - Alexander Plesovskikh - LW (Yugra - VHL)
#19 - Miroslav Holinka – C (Trinec Ocelari HC U20 – Czechia)
#18 – Roni Hirvonen – C (Toronto – AHL)
#17 – Timofei Obvintsev – G (CSKA Red Army Jr. – MHL)
Vyacheslav Peksa - G (Newfoundland - ECHL)
#16 – Vyacheslav Peksa – G (Newfoundland – ECHL)
The Maple Leafs have adopted a shotgun approach with their goaltending prospects, with netminders playing either in Europe or the lower professional levels in North America under the age of 25. Joseph Woll is slated to become the first internal candidate to be Toronto’s full-time starter since James Reimer, but the club is hoping that someone like Dennis Hildeby, Artur Ahktyamov or 2024 draftee Timofei Obstinev step up in the next few years. One of the trio of Russian goalies that Toronto has in the pipeline is 2021 Draft sixth-round pick Vyacheslav Peksa.
The 6’3”, 179 lb. native of Magnitogorsk was part of the Ak-Bars Kazan developmental system, the same organization as Akhtyamov. In 2022, while Akhtyamov was getting most of the workload with Ak-Bars VHL club (their second-level pro league), Peksa started 56 times for junior-level Irbis, posting an impressive 30-17-8 record, 1.79 GAA and .936 save percentage.
Both Leafs prospects were roadblocked by playing full-time with Kazan by veteran Timur Bilyalov, but while Akhtyamov was loaned out to another VHL club, Peksa stayed in their system and posted a 2.34 GAA and .921 save percentage in 40 games last season.
Both goalies were signed to entry-level contracts by Toronto in 2023 and traveled to North America that July to take part in Leafs Development Camp, but while Akhtyamov returned to Russia, Peksa stayed and split time with Dryden McKay and Luke Cavalin in Newfoundland last season, playing 27 games and struggling at times with a 5-19-1 record, 3.66 GAA and .890 save %.
With Cavalin signing with Montreal’s AHL affiliate in Laval, Peksa will be battling with Akhtyamov for playing time along with Hildeby on the Marlies or will spend some time with Cincinnati in the ECHL.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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