December European Prospect Update for the Toronto Maple Leafs
While the prospects in Europe as a whole are the basis for this Toronto Maple Leafs prospect update, the Leafs’ prospects are only involved in the Continental Hockey League (KHL).
Not quite—the Toronto Maple Leafs currently hold the rights to players from both the National League (NL) and the Supreme Hockey League (VHL). Due to their age or lack of NHL projection, the players in those leagues would hardly be regarded as prospects at this time.
The Leafs have a lengthy history with players from throughout Europe. European players like Borje Salming and Mats Sundin are among the best in team history. This also applies to Russia, as the Leafs are entering the KHL free
With the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan, Akhtyamov was given a fantastic opportunity following Amir Miftakhov’s injury earlier in the season.
He has so far seized the chance and run with it. Together with former all-star netminder Timur Bilyalov, he has primarily shared the crease. He has a 6-7-0 record and a.921% save percentage (SV%) after 17 games.
It’s unclear when Miftakhov will recover from his injury, but when he does, he’ll probably knock Akhtyamov back down to the VHL.
When that happens, this season has been a huge success and a significant advancement in the young Russian goalkeeper’s development. (Note: eliteprospects.com has all the stats).
Nikita Grebyonkin, Magnitogorsk, Metallurg (KHL)
Last season’s Alexei Cherepanov (KHL rookie of the year) winner has taken a slight step back in production this year.
Through 52 KHL games last season between Magnitogorsk and Amur Khabarovsk, Grebyonkin scored nine goals and 17 assists. So far through 38 games he has produced only eight goals and eight assists. Some may call it a sophomore slump but I think the answer is much less complicated.
Last season he recorded all of his points on loan with Amur and was held scoreless in his seven games with Magnitogorsk. On Amur, he was consistently playing 18 minutes or more a night in a top-six role.
This season, he is averaging only 14:14 of time-on-ice per game (TOI/GP), good for ninth amongst Metallurg forwards. By season’s end he will likely have a much less impressive stat sheet but again, this is likely to lack of opportunity than regression on his part.
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL)
The KHL rookie of the year from the previous season, Alexei Cherepanov, has somewhat decreased his output this year.
Grebyonkin recorded nine goals and seventeen assists in 52 KHL games played last season between Magnitogorsk and Amur Khabarovsk. He has only managed eight goals and eight assists in 38 games thus far. While some might refer to it as a “sophomore slump,” I believe there is a much simpler explanation.
He played seven games with Magnitogorsk last season and scored all of his points while on loan with Amur. He was regularly playing eighteen minutes or more a night in a top-six role on Amur.
His time on ice per game (TOI/GP) this season is only 14:14, which ranks him ninth among Metallurg forwards. By
This past summer, SDA, a former forward for the Toronto Marlies, moved to Russia and has made an impression. With 18 points in 32 games, he is currently fourth among Traktor forwards in scoring.
Considering that he is currently ranked fifth among forwards in TOI/GP, this is impressive. This season, SDA has made progress in that his goal totals, which account for 10 of his 18 points, are much more noticeable.
For comparison, at any level of play in North America, he has never scored more than 13 goals in a single season. It is encouraging to see as a player who has been criticized for being a pass-first (virtually pass-exclusive) player with few other offensive options.
SDA finds it difficult to see a significant increase.
