Rankings recap, Cowan keeps scoring, Minten settling in: Leafs Prospect Roundup

Welcome back to another edition of the Leafs Prospect Roundup! Last week saw the release of our midseason ranking of the top 20 prospects in the Leafs’ system, with plenty of notable changes since our last ranking in the offseason.

With our midseason update to the rankings setting the table, this week’s edition of the Roundup is coming at you rapid-fire style.

Cowan has been trending up significantly ever since he was chosen by the Leafs in the first round of last summer’s draft, and that propelled him to the top spot on the midseason rankings. He kept the pedal down this past week, notching three goals and two assists in back-to-back wins over the Kitchener Rangers, and he now has at least a point in 12 consecutive games. Cowan’s London Knights have been laying waste to the competition in the OHL, and he has been a big reason why, currently leading the league with 1.83 points per game on the season.

It has been a whirlwind season for Minten so far, going from the NHL back to Kamloops in the WHL and then getting dealt to Saskatoon before heading over to Sweden to represent Canada at the World Juniors. Back with the Blades, Minten is settling in with his new club and making an impact on the scoresheet. In three games over the last week, he has tallied three goals and an assist, bringing him up to 15 points in his first 12 games for Saskatoon.

Hildeby has been a big bright spot for the Marlies this season but had his worst outing of the campaign back on January 14th when he surrendered three goals on 11 shots as his team got caved in by the Belleville Senators early in the contest. He bounced back in his next start, however, stopping 24 of the 26 shots he faced to lead the Marlies to a 5-2 win over Charlotte on Saturday. Hildeby now owns a 2.21 GAA and .918 SV% through 18 games on the season.

Grebyonkin has been a big part of Magnitogorsk’s offensive attack this season, and he had a big game as they took down Admiral by a score of 5-2 on Friday. The Leafs’ 2022 fifth-round pick registered a goal and two assists, and despite that performance being bookended by two scoreless outings, Grebyonkin has tallied five goals and five assists in his last 10 games.

Tverbgerg has climbed the organizational depth chart in short order during his rookie season in the AHL, and he kept the offensive production going this past week. After a career night that saw him put up four goals and an assist a couple of weeks ago, Tverberg notched another goal and added a helper in three games for the Marlies this past week. He now has 20 points in 20 games so far this season – not bad for a seventh-round pick in his first year of pro hockey.

Moldenhauer has been heating up lately and extended his point streak to four games with a goal on Friday and an assist on Saturday as Michigan split a weekend set with the rival Michigan State Spartans. Moldenhauer is now up to five goals and 10 assists in 22 games as a freshman, with nine of those points coming in his last 10 games.

Chadwick just keeps piling up the points for Lethbridge. He added three assists to his tally over three games last week and now has eight goals and 28 assists in 41 games this season. His 36 points have him ninth in scoring among WHL defenders and tied for the third-most among WHL defenders who were drafted in 2023. Chadwick’s combination of size and offensive instincts from the back end make him a player to watch out for.

Akhtyamov had an up-and-down week in the VHL, picking up a couple of impressive victories before getting shelled in an overtime loss on Friday. He stopped 41 of the 43 shots he faced in wins over Toros and Chelny but gave up four goals on just 15 shots in a losing effort against Molot Perm. Despite the poor outing, Akhtyamov is now sporting a 2.03 GAA and .921 SV% in 12 games so far this season.

Steeves is in the midst of his best season as a pro, and he added to his offensive totals over the weekend. The Marlies won a pair of games against Charlotte, with Steeves tallying a goal and an assist on Saturday before adding two more goals in Sunday’s rematch. The undrafted free agent signing now has 15 goals and 17 assists in 30 games with the Marlies this season.

Lisowsky has been one of the hottest players in the WHL in recent weeks and is showing no signs of slowing down. He tallied a goal in each of Saskatoon’s three games last week, extending his goal-scoring streak to six games. Zooming out a bit further, Lisowsky has potted 10 goals in his last 13 games and is now up to 26 goals and 26 assists in 44 games this season.

Miettinen has fallen off the map a bit since his impressive freshman season at St. Cloud State, but he is making a late push to earn an ELC with the Leafs. He scored in both games against North Dakota over the weekend, establishing a new NCAA career-high with 13 goals in just 22 games so far this season. His assist numbers are down significantly from past seasons, however, but that is a product of him shooting more while being surrounded by less offensive talent.

Miller had a strong showing as Harvard took down RPI on Friday before falling to Union College in overtime on Saturday. He notched a goal and an assist in each contest, and he is now tied for the team lead in scoring with eight goals and eight assists in just 17 games for the season. Miller’s lack of size and strength will always be a concern, but his offensive talents and production as a sophomore are worth keeping tabs on.