Leafs defensive prospect reveals who he models his game after; his response should excite fans
The Leafs have what is perceived as one of the weaker prospect pools in the NHL at this current point in time, but that's sort of the price a team pays to be a perennial contender. Still, even with their prospect pool perhaps not being as deep as other teams, there are still a handful of solid young players in the pipeline, one of whom is defenseman Topi Niemela.
Niemela is among several Leafs prospects and invitees attending the Traverse City Prospect Tournament, which kicks off today. The media caught up with the young Finnish blueliner today in Traverse City and asked him a few questions about how his offseason has gone and who he tries to emulate. Niemela revealed to the media that he has spent a great deal of time working on his strength and his shooting this summer and explained that Erik Karlsson is the player he examines the most closely and tries to model his game after.
If Niemela ends up being half as good as Erik Karlsson has been throughout his NHL career, the Leafs will have a good one in the 21-year-old blueliner. Niemela isn't the biggest, strongest or even the fastest guy out there on any given night, but what he lacks in these areas, he makes up for with his hockey IQ, his intelligence, his shot, his work ethic and his positioning. He certainly has the tools to become an impact player for the Leafs at some point down the line. The question is, when will he be ready to make the jump?
Some are of the mindset that Niemela is probably ready now. However, the prevailing thought here is that the Leafs will give him a full year in the AHL this season to try to dominate there. If he can exceed expectations in the role he plays for the Marlies this season, then a conversation will be had at the end of the year, I'm sure, as to what the next steps are. Will he sneak into some NHL games at the end of this year? Maybe. More than likely, though, we may not see him in an NHL sweater until next season.
| POLL | ||
14 SEPTEMBRE | 73 ANSWERS Leafs defensive prospect reveals who he models his game after; his response should excite fans Will we see Topi Niemela on the Leafs' roster at some point this season? | ||
| Yes | 53 | 72.6 % |
| No | 20 | 27.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
