Maple Leafs may lose the rights to a Finnish prospect drafted in 2020.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are running out of time to convince a Finnish prospect drafted 2020 to officially sign with the organization.
The Leafs were known for selecting small, skillful forwards during the Kyle Dubas era, which meant that when they selected Veeti Miettinen in the sixth round of the 2020 draft, it was no surprise. Miettinen was listed at 5'8 and 160 lbs. at the time he was drafted. Now listed at 5'9, 172 lbs., Miettinen has gone on to have a very successful career at St. Cloud State University in the NCAA.
Over four seasons, the Espoo, Finland native recorded 53 goals and 65 assists, with 0, yes, ZERO penalty minutes. Miettinen could have signed his entry-level contract with the Leafs when his NCAA season ended, but it does not appear he will be joining the Leafs with Brad Treliving at the helm.
Treliving's philosophy seems to be a little different than Dubas', but with the Leafs having a less than stellar prospect pool, it may be best for the Leafs to take one last shot at signing the 22-year-old before his rights expire on August 15th when he will then be able to sign with anyone.
While the philosophy under Treliving has changed considerably, the Leafs still need to find skilled players that will be able to play with the likes of Auston Matthews and William Nylander on value contracts to extend the window of contention.
A former sixth round pick, Miettinen was always a long shot to make the NHL, but perhaps he feels as though if he allows his rights to expire, he'll have a better opportunity to sign with a team that may allow him a clearer path to the NHL. Time will tell how this one unfolds, but he and the Leafs have just under 3 weeks go make a decision.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 27 | 1437 ANSWERS Maple Leafs may lose the rights to a Finnish prospect drafted in 2020. Should the Leafs do everything they can to sign Veeti Miettinen? | ||
| Yes | 460 | 32 % |
| No | 546 | 38 % |
| He's never going to play in the NHL | 431 | 30 % |
| List of polls | ||
