In this article I am going to take a look at a three of the Maple Leafs top prospects. I will give a breakdown of how each of them is doing this season. All three prospects are currently playing at the junior level.
Nick Robertson
Robertson is having a fantastic year for the Peterborough Petes in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this season. On March 1st in a game against the Barrie Colts, Robertson scored a hat trick to give him 50 goals on the season. That makes him just the 14th player in Peterborough Pete’s history to reach that milestone. It also makes Robertson the first player in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) this season to reach 50 goals. Robertson’s stats so far this season are 50 goals, 26 assists for 76 points in 43 games played.
It will be very important for Robertson to train hard this summer. He will need to be sharp for both the Maple Leafs rookie camp and the main roster camp. If Robertson doesn’t make the Maple Leafs roster out of camp he will be sent back to the OHL. He is not eligible to play for the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League (AHL) yet.
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev
Der-Arguchintsev who also happens to play for the Peterborough Petes is having a good season as well. In 52 games played he has 8 goals and 59 assists for 67 points. Those 59 assists have Der-Arguchintsev tied for third in the OHL in that category. After having a subpar season in 2018-19, it is good to see Der-Arguchintsev bounce back.
Der-Arguchintsev is a pass-first player which works really well with his skill set, but it doesn’t always work in his favor. Sometimes if there is no pass available he will elect to hang on to the puck instead of taking a shot and getting the puck on net. I would look for him to make the jump to the Toronto Marlies next season to further his development.
Mikhail Abramov
Abramov is having a solid season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the Victoriaville Tigres. He currently has 34 goals and 39 assists for 73 points in 60 games played. Those stats are all new career highs for Abramov. He only had 16 goals last season in 62 games, so his jump in production is nice to see. I would expect Abramov to return to the QMJHL next season for further development.
Abramov is a good skater with great vision. He is patient with the puck and will skate around the offensive zone until he finds an open teammate. He is a good passer and is known for being a pass-first type of player. It is good to see him shooting the puck more. The one thing that he really needs to work on is winning one on one battles.
Final Thoughts
It is great to see these prospects having productive seasons and moving along in the right direction. I think the future is bright for all three of these prospects and hopefully, all will find success while wearing blue and white for the Maple Leafs.
Follow me on Twitter for more great Leafs content @jermz13
Follow us at @FPCoverage for even more great content.
