Topi Niemela and other undersized prospects caught in Maple Leafs organizational shift - The Athletic
If you didn’t know any better while watching Topi Niemela during the Toronto Maple Leafs rookie tournament in September, it would have been easy to assume he was on the fast track to the NHL.
Niemela’s skating, efficient decision-making and skill with the puck looked a cut above the rest of the Leafs defencemen during two games against Montreal Canadiens prospects. The Leafs’ 2020 third-round pick put up five points in two games. Perhaps for a 22-year-old, that should be expected. Still, Niemela looked primed for the next step in his career after a full season in the AHL.
Come Leafs training camp days later, however, Niemela was paired with other AHL defenders. Meanwhile, recent blue line addition Cade Webber, all 6-foot-7 of him, was deployed alongside NHL defenders. Niemela played just one of the Leafs’ six preseason games and his short-term future as a Toronto Marlie seemed pre-destined.
On Friday, Niemela was cut from the Leafs and assigned to the Marlies. The team’s top defence prospect – at least on paper – barely got a sniff at the NHL roster.
Drafted as a cerebral, puck-moving offensive blueliner, Niemela’s game has evolved since coming to North America. But he now feels far off management and the coaching staff’s radar.
After a disappointing fall, is it worth wondering what Niemela’s future with the Leafs will look like? The clock isn’t close to midnight on his chances to become a Leaf, but it is ticking.
“I know I got drafted four years ago. But, I don’t personally feel pressure at all,” Niemela said.
Niemela likely spending another full season in the AHL is less of an indictment of his playing ability and more indicative of an organizational shift that has left him, and multiple other prospects, on the outside looking in.
A new focus on size on the blue line only heightens concerns about Niemela’s future. They are concerns that existed when he was drafted and stood 5-foot-10. He was listed in training camp as 6-feet, 181 pounds.
There’s an edge to his game, but he doesn’t always play like a typical heavy defender. But just over four years ago, it felt like there could be opportunities on the Leafs roster for small-ish players. Niemela was reflective of the Kyle Dubas-led drafting. Namely, there was a focus on taking swings and betting on talent.
But things have changed, and Niemela’s future with the Leafs is questionable because of that change. Treliving’s focus on size on the blue line may limit the chance for Niemela to show off any upside. He is now in the final season of his entry-level deal.
Recent high Leafs draft picks, including Fraser Minten and Ben Danford might not have high-end upside. But they do have pro-ready traits and size. In Treliving’s first proper draft at the helm of the Leafs this summer, most of their seven picks were in the 6-foot-2 and above range.
