How the Leafs Budding Young Stars Performed at the World Juniors
On January 5, 2021, the United States, led by promising goaltender Spencer Knight (FLA), blanked Canada 2-0 in the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship (WJC) final, capturing their 5th title. The WJC is a fan favourite and every Boxing Day marks the beginning of an exciting tournament for both the young players and NHL front offices who drafted most of those players. For myself in particular, I was excited to watch three of Toronto’s 2020 draft selections: Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemelä of Finland and Rodion Amirov of Russia. The trio had an overall impressive tournament and fans of the Maple Leafs can rest easy with GM Kyle Dubas at the helm of future drafts.
At the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Dubas, as he is apt to do, traded down. Toronto sent its 44th overall selection to the Ottawa Senators (that pick became LHD Tyler Kleven, a healthy scratch for the Americans in this year’s WJC) in exchange for 55th and 64th overall. Oddly enough, those newly acquired picks became Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemelä, respectively.
Let’s first take a look at Roni Hirvonen. Hirvonen played top line minutes for Finland on a line centred by Anton Lundell (FLA), an extremely promising point-per-game player in the Finnish Liiga. The Finnish winger had himself a solid tournament, registering 2 incredibly clutch, last-minute goals and four assists in 7 games played. Hirvonen reminds me of a Zach Hyman-type with more offensive upside – tenacious on the boards, willing to get in the dirty areas and the ability to put pucks in the net. I also thought Hirvonen’s transition game in the WJC stood out, showing his confidence to carry the puck in through the neutral zone, snapping a quick pass to another forward and securely entering the offensive zone with possession. The one downside to Hirvonen’s game, which was evident in this tournament, is his smaller frame. Hirvonen is listed as 5’9”, 170 lbs which really limits his ability to defend well with consistency, especially at the middle of the ice and if he eventually plays at his natural centre position. All in all, though, Hirvonen had a solid tournament and Leafs fans should be happy with his overall performance. Hirvonen is eligible to return to the WJC next year and will play an even bigger role for his country.
Next up is RHD Topi Niemelä, who spent the vast majority of last season, and this season, with Kärpät in the Liiga, an impressive feat at only 17 and 18 years of age. Niemelä had an extremely successful WJC campaign both in terms of points and defensive play. Niemelä played in all situations, finished with 2 goals and 6 assists in 7 games, and was named best defenceman of the tournament. I found Niemelä to be a joy to watch. He’s a smart player, an excellent puck-mover and extremely effective at transition defence. Beyond his defensive abilities, Niemelä also contributed on the scoresheet, scoring more points than any other defenceman in the tournament. I see a lot of Rasmus Sandin in Niemelä and I would not be surprised to see him in the Leafs top 4 a few years down the line. There wasn’t much to dislike about Niemelä’s game this tournament, but if I had to say one thing, I would want to see more consistency in his decision making. There were times where he was pressured in the defensive zone and was unable to make a confident first pass to transition well into the neutral zone. That could be resolved as Niemelä gets older, but it is always an area that he, and many other prospects, can improve.
Finally, it’s time to move on from the Finnish team to the Russian team with the Leafs 2020 first round selection Rodion Amirov. Originally, the Leafs did not have a first-round selection in this draft as they traded it away to escape the third and final year of Patrick Marleau’s burdensome contract. However, Dubas acquired the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 15th overall selection and promising prospect Filip Hållander for Kasperi Kapanen and other spare parts, an absolute steal of a trade. That pick was used by Dubas and co. to select Amirov. The Russian winger did not have the same impactful tournament as Hirvonen and Niemelä, but he did register a solid 2 goals and 4 assists in Russia’s 7 games played, leading his team in points. Amirov had some flashes of skill but I was more impressed by his solid two-way game, especially defending on the penalty kill with an active stick blocking passing lanes. I found Amirov a little bit impatient in this tournament, something not usually part of his game. Usually, Amirov does well to move into open positions and high danger areas and use his excellent, quick release shot to put pucks in the back of the net. Here, he opted for shots in low danger areas. This may be due to how Russia was coached or by some poor decision making on Amirov’s part, but this normally is not a concern with his game. I do not expect this trend to continue and any such kinks will hopefully be resolved when Amirov goes back to the KHL for the season. Amirov remains a fascinating prospect and I expect him to make some noise at Leafs training camp as early as next season.
All in all, the prospects that were expected to shine for the Leafs did just that. All three players positively impacted their team and were valuable contributors, whether that be at 5v5, special teams, etc. Based on their drafting records, Leafs fans should collectively thank their lucky stars Dubas runs the draft, as a world in which Mark Hunter was selected as Lou Lamoriello’s successor instead of Dubas would be a dark timeline.