I'd say that is a bit of a stretch at this point. There's no denying that the kid has shown well this year though. He likely has a bright NHL future ahead of him.

Still likely two years away IMO. Love the progress and development though! Great pick!

No, i don’t think we would “take” Mrazek
Maybe, but i think we’d need an asset or pick from you to do so

I really hate player comparisons. Niemela is Niemela. He plays Niemela's game. His game looks very good, but its too early to say. I think his success in Liiga is a good sign, but there is no guarantees until he finally plays in the NHL. I think he is going to be a core part of this franchise going forward (touch wood), but even one injury could change his entire trajectory.

On a lighter note, between Rielly, Niemela, Sandin, and Liljegren, this teams top 4 defensemen looks pretty fleshed out for years to come. Sandin and Liljegren already look phenominal at the NHL level, and Niemela is my favourite prospect. Even beyond the era of Muzzin and Brodie, this team's defense should be pretty darn good. I made an ACGM team not too long ago predicting what this teams defense could look like in a few years, and I think its relatively accurate:

sanderson better fs. no debate from most leafs fans. Also just two completely different styles of defencemen. I think (hope) Niemela will be very, very good but as you said Sanderson is a huge defensive defenseman putting up smaller offensive defenceman points

my only concern is that's a very small, offensive D core but yea. Maybe get some bruisers for the 3rd pair

The rhetoric that size is a more valuable asset than skill is one that has no reason in hockey anymore. Sandin is small in stature, but plays a very big game (Example 1 , Example 2) and is fantastic at both ends of the ice. I know strength plays a pretty important role and its something Sandin definitely needs to work on (This Lorentz goal comes to mind), but even in that highlight you can see how hard he tries. He's still young and is going to blossom into a stellar defenseman. Liljegren is not afraid to throw some hits and can take them very well. He is forever engaging in net front scrums and projects to be a great defenseman as well. Niemela can hold his own against men. Being small in stature is not a pitfall, it is merely a part of the game you have to play around, and evidently Niemela has found a way to do so. He will bulk up and will again be great. Rielly is huge, and Dermott is underratedly strong. Aho is a tiny guy but one of the top centers in the league. I would like some bigger guys on the third pair, but skill is the priority, especially defensively

don't get me wrong skill>size every day. Sandin and Liljegren in particular are very good at defending using stick/positioning, and Sandin has thrown some noticeable hits. But I do like a bit of size blended in

Sandin with another MASSIVE hit against VGK