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Toronto Maple Leafs: 2016 World Juniors Recap of Leafs Top Prospects

By James Middleton

Oct 2, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; aToronto Maple Leafs right wing Kasperi Kapanen (71) skates with the puck chased by Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall (55) in the second period t Joe Louis Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; aToronto Maple Leafs right wing Kasperi Kapanen (71) skates with the puck chased by Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall (55) in the second period t Joe Louis Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
Oct 2, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; aToronto Maple Leafs right wing Kasperi Kapanen (71) skates with the puck chased by Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall (55) in the second period t Joe Louis Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Team Finland (continued)

Patrik Laine: For me, Laine was the biggest unknown of the whole draft. I wasn’t sure how good he really was.

Although I had heard the hype surrounding him, I really had to see it to believe it. Man oh man did I see it; his talent was on display all tournament long, including the one-timer that ended Team Canada’s medal aspirations.

For a player his size, I fully expected Laine’s skating to be his major weakness, and goodness was I wrong. Throughout the entire tournament his size, physicality, speed and booming shot were on display every single game.

Laine answered every question I had about him heading into the tournament, while also surprising me with how good his shot was. I think his performance at the World Juniors solidified him as a top five prospect heading into the 2016 NHL Draft, while leaving the door open for him to play in the NHL next fall.

Watching the 17-year old on the power play reminded me of both Alexander Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos with his lethal one-timer. However, I don’t think he quite has their scoring potential (I think he has a 75 point ceiling).

He reminds me a lot of Alexander Semin at his peak, but without the work ethic concerns. As a country, I think Finland is in excellent hands with regard to future success in international competition with Puljujarvi and Laine.

Kasperi Kapanen: For Leafs fans, his goal in overtime was by far the highlight of the tournament. Not only was it a gorgeous goal by Kasperi Kapanen, but it capped an absolutely perfect experience for the centerpiece of the Phil Kessel trade.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Sep 26, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kasperi Kapanen (71) during the pre game warm up prior to a game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Kapanen was solid in every game in the tournament. Early on he didn’t show up on the score sheet and was a little snake bitten, but following his goal against Slovakia, he and Mikko Rantanen really turned up the production.

The 19-year old was strong on the puck and drove play, although he hesitated too damn much on his shots. Despite only two goals and three assists for five points in seven games, he looked very good throughout the whole tournament.

Kapanen showed off his excellent shot with an impressive blend of creativity and skating in the gold medal game. In this tournament, he looked like the prospect Leafs fans thought they were getting.

I was really impressed with his performance, with this experience and the success at the World Juniors providing a springboard for Kapanen to win a Calder Cup with Nylander in the AHL this season. Moving forward, he has ever chance to play in the Leafs top 9 over the next couple of seasons.

Sending Kapanen to the World Juniors was the best possible thing for his development. Kudos to the Leafs for agreeing to allow him to go to Finland.

Next: Team USA
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