Prospect Info: Marlies & Prospect Discussion

[BertCorbeau]

I just read a top 20 leaf’s prospect list online. I can’t remember what website it was.

Steeves was in the top 10 which shows just how thin the pool truly is.

I’d argue that it’s not a great list if Steeves is in the top 10

 

[LeafSteel]

I’d argue that it’s not a great list if Steeves is in the top 10

That’s brutal.

An unfortunate circumstance clearly directly attributable to Marner…..

 

[ULF_55]

I’d argue that it’s not a great list if Steeves is in the top 10

Low hanging fruit.

If you look at some other lists they list mid round picks from 2024 ...
How can mid round picks be that high unless you have nothing else.

 

[supermann_98]

This is like asking how Florida was able to win with Kulikov.

Play driving stats are bad.

His team gets scored on more than they score when he is on the ice.

He adds nothing offensively.

He is just not good.

I can expand on this more if you want, but he was rushed to the NHL because he was large and has struggled since.



It costs assets or cap space.

They probably should, but a #6 D is not the biggest concern I am sure.

Are you trying to tell me every team that does well has a perfect roster?

Imagine a 20 year old defenceman being rushed to the NHL, struggling a bit to adjust, and then being labeled as a bust and "just not good" after a couple seasons where he's played in every single game.

Imagine a world where a 20 year old defenceman could actually improve? I know it's hard to fathom but it can and does actually happen

 

[notbias]

Imagine a 20 year old defenceman being rushed to the NHL, struggling a bit to adjust, and then being labeled as a bust and "just not good" after a couple seasons where he's played in every single game.

Imagine a world where a 20 year old defenceman could actually improve? I know it's hard to fathom but it can and does actually happen

It hasn't happened yet, but it may. The issue is that it hasn't.

His upside has always been limited.

He is 23 to start the season.

 

[Fogelhund]

""

 

[ULF_55]

""

Maybe that's Eddie's sweater?
Signed?

 

[Namikaze Minato]

Maybe that's Eddie's sweater?
Signed?

 

[Fogelhund]

Maybe that's Eddie's sweater?
Signed?

It’s the sweater they gave Cowan at the draft. Drafted in 2023 and all.

 

[ULF_55]

It’s the sweater they gave Cowan at the draft. Drafted in 2023 and all.

Well, Cowan is pretty entertaining on the ice ...

 

[SprDaVE]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1831727486377349628

 

[diehardleafsfan9878]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1831727486377349628

What league is he playing in?

 

[SprDaVE]

What league is he playing in?

MHL

 

[WTFMAN99]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1831727486377349628

I'm not much of a goalie guru, I don't have the eye for position but I guess in limited video footage, I remember Malcolm Subban and Tuuka Rask having some crazy raw / athletic tools that you cannot teach, if you can build upon that with a strong technical base, you have a hell of a goalie.

Subban never seemed to get there, Boston developed the hell out of Rask and got a good goalie.

This kid has potential, the gamble was certainly worth it and unlike him being an NCAA kid, we pretty much have his rights indefinitely so you can kinda stash him there and 2-3 years from now maybe it's a conversation.

 

[Fogelhund]

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that the hockey club has extended defenceman Marshall Rifai to a two-year contract extension, beginning in the 2025-26 season. The average annual value of the contract is $775,000.

Rifai, 26, recorded 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) in 57 games with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) during the 2023-24 season while adding four points (three goals, one assist) in three playoff games. Rifai also made his NHL debut last season, skating in two games with the Maple Leafs. Rifai has posted 35 points (six goals, 29 assists) and 189 penalty minutes in 126 career AHL regular season games while also collecting five points (three goals, two assists) in eight career playoff games. Prior to joining Toronto, the Beaconsfield, QC native appeared in 71 games through three seasons with Harvard University (NCAA) where he registered 21 points (six goals, 15 assists).

The 6’2, 205-pound defenceman originally signed a one-year AHL contract with Toronto on March 29, 2022

 

[Americanadian]

The 6’2, 205-pound defenceman originally signed a one-year AHL contract with Toronto on March 29, 2022

Worth noting: last season he measured in at 6'0, 185lbs. Big discrepancy from the 22-23 camp where he was 6'2, 205.

 

[dangomon]

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that the hockey club has extended defenceman Marshall Rifai to a two-year contract extension, beginning in the 2025-26 season. The average annual value of the contract is $775,000.

Rifai, 26, recorded 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) in 57 games with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) during the 2023-24 season while adding four points (three goals, one assist) in three playoff games. Rifai also made his NHL debut last season, skating in two games with the Maple Leafs. Rifai has posted 35 points (six goals, 29 assists) and 189 penalty minutes in 126 career AHL regular season games while also collecting five points (three goals, two assists) in eight career playoff games. Prior to joining Toronto, the Beaconsfield, QC native appeared in 71 games through three seasons with Harvard University (NCAA) where he registered 21 points (six goals, 15 assists).

The 6’2, 205-pound defenceman originally signed a one-year AHL contract with Toronto on March 29, 2022
View attachment 905283

Pretty happy to have him as a 7/8/9th D in the organization. Assume the second year of the deal makes it less likely someone claims him on waivers as it's highly unlikely he starts the year in the NHL.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that the hockey club has extended defenceman Marshall Rifai to a two-year contract extension, beginning in the 2025-26 season. The average annual value of the contract is $775,000.

Rifai, 26, recorded 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) in 57 games with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) during the 2023-24 season while adding four points (three goals, one assist) in three playoff games. Rifai also made his NHL debut last season, skating in two games with the Maple Leafs. Rifai has posted 35 points (six goals, 29 assists) and 189 penalty minutes in 126 career AHL regular season games while also collecting five points (three goals, two assists) in eight career playoff games. Prior to joining Toronto, the Beaconsfield, QC native appeared in 71 games through three seasons with Harvard University (NCAA) where he registered 21 points (six goals, 15 assists).

The 6’2, 205-pound defenceman originally signed a one-year AHL contract with Toronto on March 29, 2022
View attachment 905283

Can't wait for Leafs Digest's next video about this transaction titled "This signing changes everything!"

 

[Stringer Bell]

It’s unlikely anyone gets claimed these days. It’s not like it used to be. Tons of players who are more NHL caliber than AHL waiver fodder are still unsigned and will remain unsigned. It’s never felt faster to send a tweener like Steeves, for example down.

 

[nuck]

Worth noting: last season he measured in at 6'0, 185lbs. Big discrepancy from the 22-23 camp where he was 6'2, 205.

Yes. Prospect shrinkflation. Hopefully he stops there

 

[The Iceman]

I'm not much of a goalie guru, I don't have the eye for position but I guess in limited video footage, I remember Malcolm Subban and Tuuka Rask having some crazy raw / athletic tools that you cannot teach, if you can build upon that with a strong technical base, you have a hell of a goalie.

Subban never seemed to get there, Boston developed the hell out of Rask and got a good goalie.

This kid has potential, the gamble was certainly worth it and unlike him being an NCAA kid, we pretty much have his rights indefinitely so you can kinda stash him there and 2-3 years from now maybe it's a conversation.

Did Boston develop Rask or did Ilves Tampere develop him?
Rask was a NHL 1st round pick based on his work in Finland. All Star goalie at the WJC.

2 seasons in the AHL followed by a rookie NHL season where he had a 1.97 gaa, .931 save% in 45 games.
Not too shabby for a rookie.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Did Boston develop Rask or did Ilves Tampere develop him?
Rask was a NHL 1st round pick based on his work in Finland. All Star goalie at the WJC.

2 seasons in the AHL followed by a rookie NHL season where he had a 1.97 gaa, .931 save% in 45 games.
Not too shabby for a rookie.

Finland did a great job for him and AHL was good for him too.

 

[4thline]

Shout out to @Schenn and @Morgs for their work in putting together the annual prospect rankings over the years. Those annual debates were some of the most fun to be had on this board.

Life comes at ya fast and HF drops down the priority list. Cheers lads.

 

[darrylsittler27]

The reason I'm barely interested in how prospect pools rank is that they don't even attempt (largely because it's not the goal of the ranking) to account for the strength of the NHL roster at the top of the system. It's one thing to have an ultra strong prospect pool, but if your roster is trash, you actually need a huge majority of those guys to hit in order to turn your organization around.

Let's take Toronto's roster. The following are the current NHL pieces that I would consider to be "core" pieces for the foreseeable future.

C: Auston Matthews
C: John Tavares

LW: Matthew Knies
LW: Bobby McMann

RW: Mitch Marner
RW: William Nylander
RW: Max Domi

D: Morgan Rielly
D: Chris Tanev
D: Oliver Ekman-Larsson
D: Jake McCabe

G: Joseph Woll

If you assume that there are 6 remaining forward spots, 3 remaining defense spots and 1 remaining goalie spot that are not part of the core, you expect free agency to take care of at least 1/3 of those spots, with 2/3 of the remaining spots being filled by the prospect pool. Let's call that 4 forwards, 2 defense and 0 goalies that the prospect pool has to produce of the next few years.

Now let's look at the prospects in the system that I think have a reasonable to good chance of making the NHL in the coming years, and try to project where they might slot into the lineup.

Forwards
LW/RW: Eastan Cowan (Top 6)
RW: Nikita Grebenkin (Middle 6)
C: Fraser Minten (Bottom 6)
C: Alex Steeves (4th line)
LW/C Ryan Tverberg (Bottom 6)
LW/C Jacob Quillan (4th line)

Defense
Ben Danford (Bottom 4)
Topi Niemela (Bottom 4)
Noah Chadwick (Bottom 4)
Cade Webber (3rd pair)

Goalies
Dennis Hildeby (potential starter)
Artur Akhtyamov (potential starter)

Obviously, not all those guys will make it. There will also be 1 or 2 guys that I missed that wind up becoming players, but the reality is that the prospect pool is actually fairly respectable given how few players it needs to produce in the coming years to keep Toronto strong. Yes, you can make the argument that there isn't much projected top 6 talent in the forward pool, nor is there any top pairing defensive talent in the defense pool, but there also aren't many spots to fit those guys. Between Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Domi, Knies and Tavares, the top 6 forward spots look to be mostly filled for the foreseeable future. The same thing goes on defense. Rielly and Tanev are expected to be 1LD and 1RD for the foreseeable future and there looks to adequate current roster talent to fill out the 2nd pair. Therefore, we're really talking about the bottom pair and I' pretty comfortable with those options.

The Leafs won't rush Danford so he is more top 4 when he is ready. We have a vet defense now. Steeves wont make the team unless its injury call up.

I’d argue that it’s not a great list if Steeves is in the top 10

Years of trading picks and own rentals got us here with no real picks next year. I assume Florida's second will be used at TD. We likely have 7 future NHL ers and need one to come out of left field such as Chadwick, Kral etc.

 

[darrylsittler27]

I just read a top 20 leaf’s prospect list online. I can’t remember what website it was.

Steeves was in the top 10 which shows just how thin the pool truly is.

Quillan, Webber,Johannson,Holinka are some that project way better than Steeves but they just got drafted and\ or were later picks. Id rate Kokkanen just as good as Steeves but not top 10.