Maple Leafs RFA Niemela signs one-year deal in Sweden
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Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Topi Niemela, a pending restricted free agent, has signed a deal with the Malmö Redhawks of the Swedish Hockey League for the 2025-26 season.
"We have been looking for a defenceman with Topi's profile and qualities, and he wants to come here because he sees a strong development environment with us," Malmo sporting director Oscar Alsenfelt said, per a translation. "He wants to get better and break into the NHL – and we will help him with that."
The defenceman can have his rights retained by the Leafs until July 2029 if the club tenders him a qualifying offer.
Niemela has spent all of his North American professional career with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, where he posted 11 goals, and 52 assists over 135 games since the 2022-23 season. The 23-year-old finished this past season with two goals and 22 points in 61 games, finishing second among Marlies defencemen in scoring.
The Oulu, Finland native was selected in the third round (64th overall) by the Maple Leafs in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Niemela is the second Leafs' pending RFA to sign elsewhere, joining forward Roni Hirvonen, who signed a one-year deal with Oulun Karpat of the Finnish Liiga last week.
Hirvonen, 23, was selected by the Maple Leafs in the second round (59th overall) of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
The native of Espoo, Finland played 59 games with the Toronto Marlies last year, where he scored 10 goals and finished with 21 points.