Maple Leafs enter draft loaded on the wings

Kristen Shilton

TSN Toronto Maple Leafs Reporter

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This weekend’s NHL Entry Draft in Chicago offers the Toronto Maple Leafs the opportunity to add prospects to an already impressive farm system. As of Wednesday, Toronto is set to select 17th overall, and holds picks in the second (59), fourth (110, 124), fifth (141), sixth (172) and seventh (203) rounds.

Before the draft begins, we're breaking down the top 10 prospects already in the Leafs' organization, and when they're most likely to be ready for regular NHL duty. 

Note: In this instance, prospects on the list are limited to those with 10 or fewer games played with the Maple Leafs.

1. Travis Dermott, LD (2015, 34th overall)

2016-17 stats with Toronto Marlies:

GP: 59 G: 5 A: 19 P: 24 PIM: 60
NHL ETA: 2017-18

When Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello said in April that the Leafs were watching the progress of one defensive prospect particularly closely, it was easy to assume that player was Dermott. Likened to a “bowling ball” by his Toronto Marlies teammates because of the power behind his 5-foot-11, 207-pound frame, the 20-year-old blueliner had a strong first season in the AHL, earning top-pairing minutes and the tough matchups that came with it. Excellent in the Marlies’ first-round playoff series against Albany, Dermott struggled against the speed of the Syracuse Crunch in the second round, and admitted the summer ahead would determine whether he was truly ready for the NHL. If all goes as planned, starting next season with the Leafs isn’t out of the question.

2. Brendan Leipsic, LW (2012, 89th overall)

2016-17 stats with Toronto Marlies:

GP: 49 G: 18 A: 33 P: 51 PIM: 30
NHL ETA: 2017-18 (Exposed to Las Vegas in expansion draft)

After spending most of the last three seasons (save a six-game NHL stint) in the AHL, Leipsic, 23, has all but outgrown the minors. He was one of the Marlies two best forwards in the first half of last season (notching 38 points in 34 games) before a concussion in January sidelined him for nearly two months. The effects lingered and slowed some of his scoring momentum, but Leipsic still churned out dominant stretches near the end of the season and into the playoffs. He needs to find more consistency to stick in the NHL, but in assessing 2016-17 as a whole, it’s clear he doesn’t quite belong in the AHL either.

3. Kerby Rychel, LW (2013, 19th overall)

2016-17 stats with Toronto Marlies:

GP: 73 G: 19 A: 33 P: 52 PIM: 118
NHL ETA: 2017-18 (Exposed to Las Vegas in the expansion draft)

The 22-year-old winger played 37 NHL games over two seasons with Columbus before being traded to Toronto last June. He believed he’d be skating with the Leafs last October, but instead spent all year with the Marlies. At his exit interview, Rychel was clear he wants to be in the NHL next year, but his consistency on the ice has to match that desire. Rychel has the ability to be an offensive force, especially around the net, and seemed to find his game going into the postseason. But while Rychel led the Marlies in points last season (52), he also had the second-worst plus-minus rating (minus-11) on the team. Rychel’s always been a solid scorer, but his game still has to evolve in the defensive end.

4. Calle Rosen, LD (Undrafted)

2016-17 stats with Vaxjo HC:

GP: 41 G: 6 A: 13 P: 19 PIM: 10
NHL ETA: 2017-18

Coming off an impressive season with Vaxjo HC in Sweden, the 23-year-old Rosen could be the type of presence Toronto’s blueline lacked all last season ­– depending on how he can adjust his game this side of the pond. Former NHLer Ville Leino told TSN 1050’s Leafs Lunch in May that Rosen was “probably the best skater I’ve ever played with, even among guys in the NHL,” and even compared his skating and movement on the ice to Red Wings great Nicklas Lidstrom. The Leafs would love to have found another Nikita Zaitsev in Rosen, but the Swede will have to add some of Zaitsev’s toughness and avoid getting hit as much as he does to make an impact at the next level. With some work on his passing and on controlling his blistering shot, Rosen could be a good addition to the Leafs’ bottom pairing right away.

5. Andreas Borgman, LD (Undrafted)

2016-17 stats with HV71 Jonkoping:

GP: 45 G: 5 A: 10 P: 15 PIM: 26 
NHL ETA: 2017-18

Fresh from a rookie-of-the-year campaign with the Swedish Hockey League’s HV71 (previous winners include Victor Hedman and Mattias Ekholm), Borgman, 21, seems primed for a bright future in the NHL. In his first pro season, Borgman posted a plus-23 rating, and contributed 10 points in the playoffs (two goals, eight assists). He brings a more physical presence than Rosen and is a strong two-way skating defenceman with a good shot and experience playing in all situations. Going up against men in Sweden is a bonus for a young player like him, and should help ease his transition into the North American game.

6. Andreas Johnsson, LW (2013, 202nd overall)

2016-17 stats with Toronto Marlies:

GP: 75 G: 20 A: 27 P: 47 PIM: 42
NHL ETA: 2018-19

Johnsson had a brutal introduction to the North American game after coming over from Sweden during the Marlies’ 2015-16 playoff run. Just two games into his AHL career, Johnsson took a hit to the head and spent the summer in recovery. In turn, the start of his first full AHL season in October was so slow that Johnsson, 22, didn’t even hit a double-digit point total until early December. But by February he had come into his own as the Marlies most consistent and reliable offensive presence, and was a force in the postseason with a team-leading six goals. Highly coachable and ultra-competitive, Johnsson is an underrated weapon in the Leafs organization who could make waves in training camp with a great summer.

7. Jeremy Bracco, RW (2015, 61st overall)

2016-17 stats with OHL’s Kitchener Rangers/Windsor Spitfires:

GP: 57 G: 25 A: 58 P: 83 PIM: 6 
NHL ETA: 2019-20

Bracco’s 2016-17 season couldn’t have gone much better. The 20-year-old tore off a 26-game point streak to start his final OHL season with the Kitchener Rangers (17 goals, 34 assists), won a World Junior gold medal with the United States in January, waived his no-trade to join the Windsor Spitfires that same month, signed his first NHL contract in March and then hoisted the Memorial Cup in May. Bracco’s 200-foot game came a long way last season, and his patience and poise with the puck make him a threat all over the ice. At 5-foot-9 and 173 pounds, he has to add some bulk to his frame and some professional experience to his resume in the AHL, but his elite playmaking ability and hockey sense should serve him well at the next level.

8. Carl Grundstrom, RW (2016, 57th overall)

2016-17 stats with Frolunda HC:

GP: 45 G: 14 A: 6 P: 20 PIM: 6

NHL ETA: 2018-19

Grundstrom’s blend of snarl and skill immediately brings to mind a young Leo Komarov. When he arrived with the Marlies from Sweden midway through their playoff run this spring, Grundstrom surprised with how easily he adapted to North American ice. The 19-year-old scored three goals in his first five AHL games and saw some early power play time, proving to be a quick study in a whole new system. Grundstrom is smart and tenacious, seemingly fearless around the net and in throwing his 6-foot frame around. He could be ready to take the next step sooner than expected.

9. Andrew Nielsen, LD (2015, 65th overall)

2016-17 stats with Toronto Marlies:

GP: 74 G: 14 A: 25 P: 39 PIM: 82
NHL ETA: 2019-20

When the Leafs were struggling on the back end last season, the size (6-foot-3, 207 pounds) and skill set of Nielsen – in his first AHL campaign – made him a regular talking point. Was he ready to jump into an NHL lineup? Could he hold his own at just 20, one season removed from junior? In a word, no. Nielsen had great stretches last year to be sure, but he's still raw, still learning to consistently harness all his natural gifts and to become a more proficient skater. The Marlies’ playoff run was good for him to build more confidence and learn how to toe the line between playing physical and playing smart. He needs more time to not just add confidence, but play with it.

10. Rinat Valiev, RD (2014, 68th overall)

2016-17 stats with Toronto Marlies:

GP: 47 G: 3 A: 10 P: 13 PIM: 79
NHL ETA: 2019-20

Even as he’s been pushed down the organizational depth chart with the addition of players like Dermott and Nielsen, Valiev has something they don’t – NHL experience. He skated in 10 games for the Leafs in 2015-16, not scoring any points but not doing much damage either. The audition didn’t lead to a recurring role though, and Valiev followed up with a lackluster 47-game season with the Marlies cut short by a knee injury - his third. At minus-five, Valiev had the worst plus-minus rating of any Marlies’ defender in the regular season, and was minus-seven in the playoffs. He was eventually benched for two of their second-round playoff games in favour of William Wrenn. With the injection of talented, competitive young defencemen around him, Valiev has looked slow at times. He’s still in the mix, but the 22-year-old needs to keep progressing, and find ways to have an impact.

WILD CARD

Miro Aaltonen, F (2013, 177th overall)

2016-17 stats with Chekhov Vityaz:

GP: 59 G: 19 A: 25 P: 44 PIM: 38
NHL ETA: 2018-19

Toronto signed Aaltonen to an entry-level contract in March, right in the thick of the team’s playoff race, so the move went widely undiscussed. Aaltonen, 24, was previously an Anaheim draft pick, but the Ducks let his rights lapse and the Leafs swooped in to add another similar piece to the stock of forwards they already have. At 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds, Aaltonen is a smaller player who can slot in at centre or left wing. He’s a talented scorer but better passer, and a known playmaker on the power play. He led the KHL in under-24 scoring last season but was held off the scoresheet in the playoffs. If Aaltonen can play down in the middle in the NHL, he’d be a huge asset to the Leafs, who lack organizational depth at the position. Otherwise he looks like another experienced winger the team has to find room for.