We’ve finally reached September, and in a few weeks, teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs will begin preseason. The NHL preseason is a chance for teams to showcase players that won’t have that same opportunity during the season, and the Maple Leafs will be looking to do just that. Typically, there’s a good mix of players from the NHL, AHL, and ECHL. Also, there will be several prospects who will most likely be sent back to junior for further development. It’s an exciting time because those players will look to prove themselves in front of management and teammates, resulting in some entertaining hockey. In no particular order, here are players to look out for this preseason for the Maple Leafs.
Players to Look Out for this Preseason
Easton Cowan
Easton Cowan was drafted in the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft by the Leafs. When he was selected, everyone was scratching their heads because he was on no one’s draft board. There was some uncertainty about the selection, but it appears that general manager Brad Treliving and his scouting department might’ve made the correct decision. Cowan spent the 2023-24 season with the London Knights of the OHL, and he exploded. He scored 96 points in 54 regular season games and 34 points in 18 playoff games. The Knights went on to win the OHL playoffs. Thus qualifying them to participate in the Memorial Cup, where Cowan scored eight points in four games.
He was named OHL MVP for both the regular season and the playoffs. There’s no denying that he was outstanding last season for the Knights. It’s only natural that he’ll be in the spotlight during this upcoming preseason campaign with the Maple Leafs. Earlier this summer, during the Maple Leafs development camp, the 19-year-old revealed that he believes he can make the team out of training camp.
“I wanna make the team. That’s always been my goal,” he said. “I wanna play in the NHL one day, and I’m feeling very confident.”
This preseason will be a great opportunity for him to show Maple Leafs new head coach Craig Berube what he’s about.
Dennis Hildeby
The Leafs selected Dennis Hildeby in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. Since moving to North America from Sweden, he has spent all his time in the AHL. The 6-foot-7 goaltender was great for the Toronto Marlies last season. Despite the great numbers, Hildeby believes that he was inconsistent last season and is ready to improve. In 41 regular season games, he put up a 2.41 GAA and .913 SV%. Hildeby was amongst the best goaltenders in the league. Of goalies to play 40 or more games, he ranked second for lowest GAA and best save percentage. These are signs of a promising net-minder and Leafs management should be excited about that.
Hildeby has worn the Maple Leafs sweater before during a regular season game, however, he did not get any ice time. He was called up to serve as a backup to Martin Jones who was the starter at the time. In the early new year, Joseph Woll was injured and was expected to miss several months, meaning the Leafs had Ilya Samsonov and Jones left. Then the Leafs sent down Samsonov due to his poor performances as an act to help him rejuvenate. So, for a few games, Hildeby was the backup, but he never took off the baseball cap, despite being available for a back-to-back situation. Be ready to see the 23-year-old in action this preseason for the Maple Leafs.
Topi Niemela
Topi Niemela joins Cowan and Hildeby on this list. The Finnish defenceman has been with the Leafs organization for quite sometime now. He was the 64th pick in the 2020 draft, meaning this is his fourth year with Toronto. Last year was just his first season with the Marlies. Before that, he was in his home nation playing for Karpat in Liiga. After being drafted, he spent three seasons with Karpat, scoring 54 points in a total of 121 games. At the end of that third season, he moved to Toronto to join the Marlies.
The Marlies went to the Calder Cup playoffs that season and Niemela scored five points in seven games, showing he fits in well with North American-styled hockey. Last season, Niemela’s first full season in the AHL, he finished sixth in scoring amongst his teammates. He scored 39 points in 68 games, and he’ll be looking to improve that number this season, assuming he plays with the Marlies again. However, because he’s spent so much time playing minor and junior hockey, expect the 22-year-old to make a big push later this month. Look out for the Finnish D-man this preseason with the Maple Leafs.
Main Photo: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
