Toronto Maple Leafs Top Defense Prospect Joins the Marlies

Wednesday afternoon, The Athletic’s Joshua Kloke reported that Maple Leafs top defensive prospect Topi Niemelä would be reporting to the Toronto Marlies later in the week.

Niemela is the Toronto Maple Leafs top defensive prospect, and depending on how one views Nick Robertson, Matthew Knies, and Joseph Woll, could be seen as their overall top prospect.

For a team without a blue-chipper from the top of the NHL Entry Draft, the Leafs top prospect chart is extremely subjective.

During the 2020 NHL Entry Draft which was held in October that year due to COVID, GM Kyle Dubas completed one of his many moves where he trades one draft pick to acquire two lower draft picks. During that draft year he…