Toronto Maple Leafs Prospects: 5 Exciting Talents Not Yet With the Marlies

It hasn't been a great season so far for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but there is hope both in the team and in the system.

Nazem Kadri and Keith Aulie have already been called up from the Marlies to provide a spark for the big club, Christian Hanson and Korbinian Holzer have also had their turns.  Now that J.S. Giguere is out with an injury, the Leafs have also called up James Reimer to back up Jonas Gustavsson.

Brian Burke had hoped that he had put together a playoff team this year, which is still quite possible.  But it is also clear that Toronto is still a team in transition.  If they are going to make it into the playoffs, and be a team that is consistently competitive, these are the players who are going to matter in the future.

1. Brad Ross Showing He Is More Than Just a Pest

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LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 26: Brad Ross, drafted in the second round by the Toronto Maple Leafs is interviewed during day two of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft at Staples Center on June 26, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

There was a reason that Brian Burke traded picks to move into the second round of the 2010 draft, and it was because Brad Ross was still available.

In his fourth year with the Portland Winterhawks, Ross is at a point-per-game pace with nine goals and 12 assists in 21 games.  The left winger has already proven that he is a potent offensive player, notching 27 goals and 41 assists in 71 games last year, and rating an impressive plus-22.

When he was drafted, Ross was mainly advertised as an agitator in the same mold as Darcy Tucker, feisty with some potential for secondary scoring.  With 203 penalty minutes last year and 57 already this year, Ross clearly has no difficulties mixing things up.  But it is also obvious that his skills in the offensive zone have been developing, which could make him a potent force in the future.

Earlier in the year, Ross won Player of the Week honors in the WHL after scoring five goals, one assist and being a plus-six in four games with Portland.

At 18 years old, he clearly has a few years of development time ahead of him.  But when he does make his debut with the Leafs, it is pretty clear that he will quickly become a fan favourite with this kind of playing style.

2. Greg McKegg Has the Skills To Make a Difference

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LONDON,ON - SEPTEMBER 23: Greg McKegg #69 of the Toronto Maple Leafs stretches in the warm-up prior to a pre-season game against the Philadelphia Flyers on September 23,2010 at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario. The Leafs defeated the Flyers 3-2 i

Greg McKegg might be the steal of the 2010 draft.

Picked 62nd overall in the third round, the 6', 191-pound center might prove over the next few years that he could have easily been picked earlier.

Playing center in his third year with the Erie Otters, McKegg has quickly taken on a leadership role as his point totals jumped dramatically from his first to second year.  Totalling only 18 points in his first year with a minus-13 rating, he dominated in his second year with 85 points in 67 games and a plus-18.

With 35 points in 27 games so far this year, McKegg is looking to surpass his point totals from last year and become one of the premier forwards of the OHL.

McKegg is 15th in overall scoring so far this year, and finished 11th in the OHL in total points last year.

Kenny Ryan Flourishing With the Windsor Spitfires

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LONDON, ON - SEPTEMBER 14: Kenny Ryan #68 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates in a game against the Ottawa Senators during the NHL Rookie Tournament on September 14, 2010 at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario. The Senators defeated the Leafs 3-2. (P

Kenny Ryan is a 6', 204-pound right winger who is currently part of a stacked Windsor Spitfires team.  With prospects such as Zack Kassian and Ryan Ellis, the team has plenty of offensive weapons, so it is promising to see Ryan holding his own.

The Maple Leafs selected Ryan in the second round of the 2009 draft, picking him 50th overall, and he might turn out to have been a steal at that selection.

Ryan currently has 16 points in 19 games and a plus-seven rating in his second year in the OHL with the Spitfires.  Before that, Ryan spent three years playing with the U.S. Under-18 National Team, racking up 80 points in 114 games.

Still only 19 years old, Ryan has a way to go before he would make his NHL debut, but putting up good numbers with the Windsor Spitfires is a great way to build his game.

Sondre Olden Playing With Modo in Sweden's Elitserien League

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LONDON,ON - SEPTEMBER 12: Sondre Olden #74 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the NHL Rookie Tournament on September 12,2010 at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario. The Penguins defeated the Leafs 2-1

Sondre Olden is still only 18 years old, but already at 6'4", the talented winger is going to be a large presence on the ice.  Problem is, he still only weighs 176 pounds, which is fine if he continues to play in Sweden.  But if Olden wants to play in the NHL, the lanky forward is going to have to bulk up.

Olden was on the Modo J20 team earlier this year, and put up a very respectable seven points in 12 games, which was good enough to earn a promotion to the regular Modo.

Selected in the third round of the 2010 draft, 79th overall by the Leafs, the young forward absolutely dominated in the Norway U19 league.  In the 2008-09 season, Olden put up 67 points in 19 games with his Manglerud team.

Now that he is playing in a much more difficult league, Olden is having to use his impressive size and hockey smarts to figure out new ways of notching points.  

With the way he has excelled at every level, including World Junior tournaments, Olden should have no trouble continuing to put up points and developing into a potent offensive weapon.

If You Like Luke Schenn, You Are Probably Going To Like Eric Knodel

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TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 06: Luke Schenn #2 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Buffalo Sabres at the Air Canada Centre on November 6, 2010 in Toronto, Canada. The Sabres defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

So, before saying anything here about Eric Knodel, it is necessary to preface this with the reality that he is 20 years old and was picked 128th overall in the fifth round of the 2010 draft.  

The reason that this is mentioned is that defensemen typically take longer to develop than forwards, and that he was picked in the later rounds, so the fight to the NHL is extra tough.

That being said, Knodel seems like he might be up for the challenge.  At 6'6" and 225 pounds, he is a giant of a man patrolling the blue line.

A physical defenseman who won't shy away from a fight, has a quick and accurate shot from the point and is able to make the stretch pass with some decent vision.  Sound like anyone you know?  

Once again, making any comparisons to Luke Schenn is rather premature, especially with the way Schenn is playing this year.  But you get the idea of what a kid this size can bring to the table in the future.

Brian Burke loves big defensemen, and the prospects he has acquired since being in Toronto prove it.  When you add Knodel to Korbinian Holzer, Keith Aulie and Juraj Mikus, the future of Toronto's blue line looks pretty intimidating.