The Toronto Maple Leafs impressed in their annual prospect showdown, taking two out of two games against the future of the Montreal Canadiens. Following a 4-3 shootout victory featuring goals from Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten, the Leafs took the back-and-forth battle against the Habs’ rookies with a 5-4 win thanks to a late goal from Cowan.
While Cowan certainly impressed this weekend (as you would expect your top prospect to do), one player who deserves lots of credit is Topi Niemela. The Maple Leafs’ third-round pick from 2020 (64th overall) registered five assists in two games over the weekend, with two helpers in Saturday’s win and another three in the second victory.
Niemela was extremely active from the point in both games, quarterbacking the power play on the top unit and often throwing shots on net low to generate rebounds for his teammates. Two of his three assists came from generating rebounds, the other was a secondary in the form of some smooth puck-moving to get it to newly-acquired Cade Webber, who set up Roni Hirvonen for his first of two goals.
Considering Niemela was originally drafted for his defensive instincts and hockey IQ, the uptick in his offensive abilities has been a pleasant surprise. He had a breakout season with Oulun-Karpat of Finland’s pro league, SM-Liiga, in 2021-22 with ten goals and 32 points in 48 games as a 20-year-old. Although his numbers took a dip the following year, he showed well in his first season with the Toronto Marlies, finishing the year with 39 points in 68 games. He looked noticeably more comfortable as the season went on and earned some more responsibility towards the end, too.
Hirvonen, the Leafs’ second-round pick from the 2020 draft, is looking to rebound after a tough 2023-24 season that was plagued by injuries. Although his 13 points in 37 games aren’t terrible, having your rhythm interrupted by time on the injured reserve is often something that leads to a forgettable season, and he’ll look to start his sophomore AHL season on a positive note.
The Maple Leafs’ other goals today came courtesy of a game-winner from Easton Cowan, a bat-in goal from Sam McCue, who the team drafted in the sixth round this season, and Marshall Finnie, a camp invite whose name was in the headlines for the wrong reason after he injured Leafs’ 2024 first round pick Ben Danford in a prospect scrimmage following a big hit.
The Leafs will open up the preseason on September 22 against the Ottawa Senators.
