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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)
#16 – Vyacheslav Peksa – G (Newfoundland – ECHL)
#15 – Cade Webber – D (Boston University – NCAA)
#14 – Ryan Tverberg – C (Toronto – AHL)
#13 – William Villeneuve – D (Toronto – AHL)
#12 – Alex Steeves – C(Toronto – AHL / Toronto – NHL)
#11 – Joe Miller – C (Harvard – NCAA)
#10 – Nick Moldenhauer – C (Michigan – NCAA)
#9 – Nick Abruzzese – C (Toronto – AHL / Toronto - NHL)
The Toronto Maple Leafs did not shy away from going the overage route under the draft model of former GM Kyle Dubas. One example of that is forward Nick Abruzzese. The Slate Hill, NY native was a late bloomer who joined the USHL’s Chicago Steel in 2017 before finding his game as a 19-year-old and leading the league with 80 points (29 goals, 51 assists).
Toronto selected the 5’11”, 180 lb. center in the fourth round (124th overall) of the 2019 Draft as a 20-year-old and a developmental project heading to Harvard University. Abruzzese scored 44 points (14 goals, 30 assists) with the Crimson, leading all NCAA freshmen in scoring and averaging 1.42 points per game (the second highest in Division I college hockey) in 2019-20, earning Ivy League Rookie of the Year and ECAC First Team honors.
Abruzzese was looking to build on his success in his sophomore year, but the Ivy League chose not to play in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and he chose to have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip.
Fully healthy in 2021-22, Abruzzese bounced back with a solid NCAA season (33 points in 28 games) and played well with fellow Toronto forward Matthew Knies on Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. After the end of the Ivy League season, signed a two-year entry-level deal with the Leafs and played nine NHL games, scoring his first professional goal.
In his first full pro season, the 24-year-old showed off his playmaking ability with the AHL Marlies, finishing second on the club in assists (32), third in regular season scoring with 48 points, and added seven points in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Abruzzese also earned an NHL callup, registering a pair of assists in two games. Last season, the 25-year-old played the entire season in the AHL, increasing his point totals slightly with 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists) in 71 games.
In the final year of a two-year, two-way deal, Abruzzese may be another option for recall like teammate Alex Steeves if the Leafs are in need of reinforcements.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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