If you havnt been watching the Marlies lately I dont think you are in a position to say Niemela “hasn’t been able to grow his game at all” I’ve noticed him making a lot of smart plays and exiting the zone well. Hes also gotten stronger.
Not able to grow his game at all is an exaggeration and not exactly what I meant. I was asking because a few years ago it was expected he'd be pushing for an NHL spot around now (or as early as last year) and he hasn't even gotten a sniff.
Anyways, from posters in here it seems like he's steadily improving in other facets. Seems like maybe his growth is comparable to Liljegren's game where he came to the AHL and was put in more defensive situations?
Hopeful he can come good and be a quality defenseman for the Leafs in the near future. It'd be nice to actually have a success story on defense for the Leafs development.