The annual Toronto Maple Leafs prospect tournament takes place with two games against Montreal Canadiens prospects on Sept. 14 and 15, bringing the futures of some of the organization’s top young players into focus.
Internally, the Leafs are viewing these two games as vital opportunities. In front of what looks to be a nearly sold-out Bell Centre, one of the NHL’s cathedrals, the Leafs’ young prospects will be able to showcase where they’re at in their development on a significant stage.
So what will they be able to show?
Ahead of an important weekend for a number of the Leafs’ top prospects, let’s take a look at what they need to do to have a successful 2024-25 campaign. There are plenty of other Leafs prospects, including Nicholas Moldenhauer and Victor Johansson, who are intriguing in their own right. For the purposes of this story, we’re looking strictly at prospects playing this weekend in Montreal.
What becomes of the Leafs’ top prospect will be one of the most fascinating storylines to follow through training camp.
After an OHL championship and an MVP award last season, the relentless and skilled left winger doesn’t have anything else to prove at the junior level. That’s not to say there aren’t elements of his game that can’t be brought around, including his decision-making on and off the puck. But for a player who looks to have an NHL future, that development might not come playing against 16-year-olds. Cowan needs to be challenged this season, whether that’s in the NHL — learning the ropes and sustaining the league’s heightened physicality — or in the OHL, where he should literally be playing in every situation possible, especially against the opposition’s best.
The deck is stacked against Cowan: Adding Max Pacioretty and bringing back Nick Robertson doesn’t leave the NHL rookie with the easiest path to a roster spot. But these are the challenges Cowan needs to be a full-time NHLer. He’ll need to show how impactful his work ethic can be without, ironically, trying to do too much. There are times when he gets caught trying to make an extra unnecessary move with the puck. Those are the kinds of plays NHL defencemen snuff out easily.
Getting as long a look in the NHL as possible — whether that’s preseason games, a nine-game tryout or even longer — is Cowan’s goal this season. The way in which he’s acted and played like an obvious leader through prospect skates this week suggests he’s getting close to that goal.
Fraser Minten, 20, C, Toronto Marlies
Minten could force his way onto the Leafs roster as he did last season, but a season in the AHL feels more likely. Dominating the game with his effective decision-making, powerful shot and ability to connect teammates with smart plays around the rink shouldn’t be the priority. Instead, simply being placed in stimulating situations on and off the ice is what he needs. How quickly can he manipulate players with more experience? How steady can he remain in (possibly) the longest season of his career?
Middle-six minutes are all but assured. But with that kind of ice time, Minten will have to fill the net more often after his WHL offensive totals slipped last season. If he’s going to evolve into a third-line NHL centre and not a bottom-line player, some production will be necessary. Keep an eye on how well he does in that regard with the Marlies.
Roni Hirvonen’s priority is to stay healthy this season. (Jonathan Tenca / Cal Sport Media via AP)
Roni Hirvonen, 22, C, Toronto Marlies
There were 62 players chosen in the first two rounds of the 2020 NHL Draft and 15 have yet to play an NHL game. Hirvonen is part of the latter group and one of the older draft picks attending Leafs prospect camp.
Now, the clock isn’t necessarily ticking loudly for Hirvonen, a sharp, skilled and sometimes feisty centre. That’s because a freak eye injury caused him to miss a large portion of his first AHL season. Hirvonen said he had “short thoughts” about not playing again. But a sense of resolve that the organization has been impressed by kept him going.
And so Hirvonen’s priority is simple this season: Stay healthy.
At 5-foot-10, he’s going to have to prove that he can manage physicality in the AHL and still execute smart plays in all areas of the ice. Expect top-six minutes with the Marlies and top power play time, too. Improving in that role while not missing any lengthy stretches should help his NHL chances long-term.
Holinka is a newcomer to the Leafs prospect pool, being added in the fifth round of the 2024 draft. After a productive season in Czechia’s under-20 league, Holinka is making the right play moving to the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings. This season will be less about proving he can still rip the puck and play a diligent defensive game in North America, and more about the off-ice component. Moving to a different part of the world without a mastery of the language will likely feel like Mount Everest for Holinka, 18. If he can keep his head above water as a human and enjoy his hockey, that’s going to be beneficial for his development as a person and a player.
Ty Voit, 21, F, Toronto Marlies
Multiple injuries and shoulder surgery caused the wiry and creative winger to play just one AHL game last season.
“Starting from scratch,” the 2021 draft pick said with evident clarity of his upcoming season. “It was a slap in the face. But s— happens.”
For his part, the former 105-point player in the OHL appears to be taking a difficult season head-on. While he only began skating in a group in August, he’s still showing the kind of confidence needed as he will attempt to play his first full season with the Toronto Marlies.
“I want more than I wanted to have last year, but I can’t go two steps ahead. So I just want to get my feet wet like I did last year a little bit. But I don’t want to spend the whole year doing that. I just want to take on the role that I know I can take,” Voit said.
Voit will likely be deployed in a middle-six role with power play time in the AHL. While production seems likely given his hands and skill set, his season will be defined by whether he can evolve from being a perimeter player and learn to take the puck inside — and fearlessly — and get it off his stick quicker, too.
Grebenkin might not be the dark horse to crack the Leafs roster he was throughout the summer but he’s still one of the most interesting players to watch with the Marlies.
We know what he is: A hard-charging, aggressive forward with a shoot-first mentality who craves the puck on his stick, no matter where he is in the offensive zone. Opposing players just bounced off him in the neutral zone through the prospects scrimmage.
Here’s what I wonder if he can be: Far more economical with his movements and decision-making. There’s so much skill in his game but there were times it felt like he was playing a game independent of his teammates through this week. If he can learn to harness his foot-to-the-pedal game for the benefit of those around him, the Leafs could have something special. I’m already fascinated to see how Marlies coach John Gruden, who has a tough, driving side to him, works with Grebenkin, who is still learning to speak English.
Cade Webber, 23, LD, Toronto Marlies/Cincinnati Cyclones
Expect an uphill climb for Webber this season in the AHL. There’s no doubting what he could bring with his 6-foot-6 frame and impressive reach. He was one of the best defensive defencemen in college hockey last season, but how he fares against pros will be a different story. Add in his developing foot speed and hit-or-miss first pass, and you have a player who will have a lot to learn with the Marlies. He’s likely going to play bottom pair minutes, which will be seen as detrimental, but it shouldn’t be.
“I think just continue to develop, work on the defensive side of the game, getting stronger, just picking up on little things I’ve seen. Guys are bigger, stronger and have sticks,” Webber said of this upcoming season.
He seems like a candidate to log a few ECHL games here and there if he needs an opportunity to dominate and keep his confidence high.
Ben Danford, 18, RD, Oshawa Generals
For Danford, his 2024-25 OHL season will be about being the guy. Playing against the league’s best at five-on-five while also logging heavy special teams time is crucial for a player who has an elite hockey IQ. Defensively, his game is strong and well-detailed. Points aren’t everything for a player, as so many people within the Leafs organization will tell you. But for the 2024 first-round pick, adding more production from the blue line is a step toward making his game more well-rounded.
Noah Chadwick, 19, LD, Lethbridge Hurricanes
Chadwick has blossomed from a sixth-round pick in 2023 into a cerebral, all-around defenceman whose NHL future is becoming more and more promising. The Leafs think highly of him, inking him to an ELC not long after being drafted and then making multiple trips to Lethbridge to visit him in his breakout WHL year. At 6-foot-4, he has some of the hallmarks of a typical Brad Treliving defenceman. Being named captain of the Hurricanes this season is an opportunity for his evident leadership skills to flourish.
While this is true for a few players on this list destined for junior hockey this season, it rings loudest for Chadwick: in 2024-25, the defenceman has to dominate. That should start with him leaning into his physical side more and more. We’ve seen similar types of defencemen like, say, Filip Kral, in the Leafs organization not make the leap because they weren’t as nasty as required in ugly areas of the ice. Learning to add that element while also providing the necessary offence could make Chadwick’s breakout season seem like only the beginning of his ascent.
Topi Niemela, 22, RD, Toronto Marlies
At the end of last season, it felt like Niemela had a chance to force his way into the Leafs lineup. But the overhaul of the team’s blue line, with an emphasis on size, has likely left him on the outside looking in.
What he has to do this AHL season then is play a mistake-free game in all areas of the ice while recovering some of the offensive touches he lost last season.
“I’m trying to be both: an offensive and defensive defenceman. When you can do both, you’re a better player,” Niemela said.
At 22, he’s not magically going to sprout up, though he’s not tiny at 6 feet either. The work ethic, attention to detail and smarts are there. For Niemela, this season is about showing that no matter the situation, he can be trusted. Then, if there is a crack in the door in the Leafs lineup, he might be able to wedge himself in.
Hildeby enters the season either third or fourth on the Leafs depth chart, depending on whether you think unproven goaltenders should be given NHL chances in case of injury and whether you think Matt Murray can stay healthy all season.
And so the goal for Hildeby is to answer the first part of the equation on his own by becoming one of the AHL’s best goaltenders. It’s not a weighty proposal. Hildeby was one of the league’s best rookies last season and has the necessary tools including a 6-foot-7 frame and outlandish athleticism. The organization wants Hildeby to stay patient and understand that his chances will come. But forcing their hand and stopping pucks consistently, without any of the dips he suffered midway through last season, is what Hildeby can do to change his course.
“I expect only the best for me,” Hildeby said. “I’m trying to enjoy myself, and I think that’s the best recipe for success because whatever happens is very hard to predict. But I think if I do all the things that I should do, and I do it as good as I can, I think it’s going to turn out well.”
Artur Akhtyamov, 22, G, Toronto Marlies
Akhtyamov will likely serve as the backup for the Marlies. He’s got a fantastic base of skills, including sharp, quick movement (without over-extending himself) and a proficient glove hand.
“(Akhtyamov) looks technically good,” Hildeby said. “He’s fast and reads the game very well.”
For the 22-year-old coming off an excellent season in Russia, making the most of what could be limited opportunities in the AHL will be paramount. He’s the type who wants to be depended on, as evidenced by his lengthy playoff run in the VHL last season. Staying steady and confident in a secondary role while still improving will be key.
(Top photo of Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten: Steve Russell / Toronto Star via Getty Images)
