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RONI HIRVONEN A LEAFS PLAYER NAME TO REMEMBER

Created by: TML_Tika
Team: 2022-23 Toronto Maple Leafs
Initial Creation Date: Aug. 10, 2022
Published: Aug. 10, 2022
Salary Cap Mode: Basic
Description
The Maple Leafs and Kyle Dubas may have hit another home run outside of the first round of the NHL Draft when they drafted Roni Hirvonen from Finland in the 2nd round and 59th overall in the 2020 NHL draft.

He is a tenacious competitor and big time leader and reminds me a bit like Dave Keon, a former Leafs alltime great because of his smaller size and the way he plays the game. He is a highly competitive player that gets involved in all three zones and leads by example and never takes a shift off. He plays quick and fast and is primarily a playmaker but can also finish and is willing to go to the tougher areas on the ice to generate offense. He has the potential to be a middle six centre or possible top six winger with the potential to provide alot of energy and kill penalities in the National Hockey League.

He had a strong 2021 World Junior tournament finishing with six points in seven games and scored the game winning goal in the quarter finals against Sweden and took a big step forward this past season with 26 points in 46 games for HIFK of Finland's top pro league playing in a man's league as a 19 year old.

He is going to have another great chance to show case himself in the 2022 World Juniors and is wearing the "C" for Finland and had a tremendous first game tonight in the tournament picking up 3 points in a win for his team.

He is a very under the radar hockey player whose prospect value continues to rise in the hockey world and looks like a tremendous draft choice by the Maple Leafs and may be available to the team for the 2022-2023 playoffs.
Free Agent Signings
RFAYEARSCAP HIT
2$1,600,000
CREATEDYEARSCAP HIT
Knies, Matthew
3$950,000
DraftRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4Round 5Round 6Round 7
2023
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2024
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2025
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ROSTER SIZESALARY CAPCAP HITOVERAGES TooltipBONUSESCAP SPACE
25$82,500,000$82,515,617$212,500$0-$15,617
Left WingCentreRight Wing
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$950,000$950,000
LW
UFA - 1
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$11,640,250$11,640,250
C
UFA - 2
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$10,903,000$10,903,000
RW
UFA - 3
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$3,500,000$3,500,000
LW, C, RW
M-NTC
UFA - 1
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$11,000,000$11,000,000
C, LW
NMC
UFA - 3
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$6,962,366$6,962,366
RW
UFA - 2
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$2,250,000$2,250,000
RW, LW
UFA - 1
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$1,500,000$1,500,000
C
UFA - 1
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$2,100,000$2,100,000
RW, C, LW
M-NTC
UFA - 4
Knies, Matthew
$950,000$950,000
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$750,000$750,000
C, RW
UFA - 1
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$1,000,000$1,000,000
RW
UFA - 1
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$796,667$796,667
LW, RW
RFA - 2
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$856,667$856,667
LW
RFA - 3
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$750,000$750,000
RW
RFA - 1
Left DefenseRight DefenseGoaltender
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$7,500,000$7,500,000
LD
NMC
UFA - 8
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$5,000,000$5,000,000
LD/RD
NTC
UFA - 2
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$4,687,500$4,687,500
G
M-NTC
UFA - 2
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$1,600,000$1,600,000
LD
UFA - 2
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$2,000,000$2,000,000
RD
M-NTC
UFA - 1
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$1,800,000$1,800,000
G
UFA - 1
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$800,000$800,000
LD
UFA - 2
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$1,400,000$1,400,000
RD
RFA - 2
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$750,000$750,000
LD/RD
UFA - 1
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$856,667$856,667
RD
RFA - 3
ScratchesInjured Reserve (IR)Long Term IR (LTIR)
Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs
$5,625,000$5,625,000
LD
NTC
UFA - 2

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Aug. 10, 2022 at 12:48 a.m.
#1
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I'd say it's time to cooldown, it was a nothing game against a nothing team...but **** it, lets hype.

FZwpW08VsAEv0-o?format=jpg&name=small
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Aug. 10, 2022 at 12:48 a.m.
#2
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Stop comparing players who have done next to nothing to hall of famers
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Aug. 10, 2022 at 12:51 a.m.
#3
B
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MORE

CAPS

N

NONSENSE

PLEASE
Aug. 10, 2022 at 12:57 a.m.
#4
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Quoting: Theozler
Stop comparing players who have done next to nothing to hall of famers


This isn’t too bad to some of his other comparisons…
Aug. 10, 2022 at 12:58 a.m.
#5
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Quoting: Theozler
Stop comparing players who have done next to nothing to hall of famers


I assume you never watched Keon actually play in the NHL on TV so you could not make the same comparison yourself.
Aug. 10, 2022 at 1:03 a.m.
#6
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Quoting: TML_Tika
I assume you never watched Keon actually play in the NHL on TV so you could not make the same comparison yourself.


Tell you what…he becomes Dave Keon you can teabag me, if he never makes the hall of fame I get to teabag you, deal?
Aug. 10, 2022 at 1:04 a.m.
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Quoting: Cardiac
This isn’t too bad to some of his other comparisons…

Engvall mahovlich?
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Aug. 10, 2022 at 1:21 a.m.
#8
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Quoting: Theozler
Engvall mahovlich?


Bingo
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Aug. 10, 2022 at 1:30 a.m.
#9
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Quoting: Cardiac
This isn’t too bad to some of his other comparisons…


Cardiac

I trust your prospect knowledge as you seem highly knowledagble and well read about every team's prospects across the entire National Hockey League which is not a perfect science and takes alot of time and effort.
Aug. 10, 2022 at 1:38 a.m.
#10
LongtimeLeafsufferer
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TML Tika. Thanks for your insight on Romi. I always welcome thoughts on players and their potential and value to the team.

You mentioned Dave Keon. After graduating from junior, the Leafs weren't that high on him....but suddenly he became a good then very good player and couldn't be kept off the NHL team.
As a guy who saw hockey in the 60s....Keon was probably the best Leaf in that decade. And geez he played in NHL and WHA till the 19802.
Aug. 10, 2022 at 1:51 a.m.
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Quoting: TML_Tika
Cardiac

I trust your prospect knowledge as you seem highly knowledagble and well read about every team's prospects across the entire National Hockey League which is not a perfect science and takes alot of time and effort.


Quoting: TML_Tika
Cardiac

I trust your prospect knowledge as you seem highly knowledagble and well read about every team's prospects across the entire National Hockey League which is not a perfect science and takes alot of time and effort.


Thank you for that. I do rip on you for the hot takes a bit but you also do seem to be highly interested in prospects as well. Anyways if you an an honest assessment of hirvonen, I would say he has very solid upside and has been a great player for the Finnish teams over the past few years. Undersized for sure but he doesn’t play undersized. I think he fell in the 2020 draft largely due to his size but he has filled out pretty well since. He has shown a constant rate progression which is something you definitely want to see in your prospects. Seeing a lot of Finnish play over the last few years as I believe the LIIGA has the potential to overtake the SHL in terms of prestige and prospect development over the next few years. Anyways if hirvonen were a few inches taller, he would have be a no brainer first rounder imo. His LIIGA progression has been great and if I am correct he will be in the AHL next year where he could adjust to the North American game as I see that being the next big step in his development. If he is able to make a jump in his play this coming year like Jonatan Berggren did his D+3 year, he could be a high end prospect very soon. Berggren tore up the SHL his third year after being mediocre but showing flashes his D+2 year. Hirvonen has largely been the same but he has been much better internationally which could be a product of playing with first round talents like raty (I know he was taken 52nd but he was a projected first overall pick heading into his draft year) and kemell. Finland’s juniors have also been on the upwards trend in prospect production. This is the make or break year for hirvonen where he will be playing in an elevated role wherever he is, Finland or the the AHL, but either way I think if he performs, he will be viewed much higher by the community than he is now. Top 6 potential but a floor of being a great full time LIIGA player.
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Aug. 10, 2022 at 1:57 a.m.
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Quoting: palhal
TML Tika. Thanks for your insight on Romi. I always welcome thoughts on players and their potential and value to the team.

You mentioned Dave Keon. After graduating from junior, the Leafs weren't that high on him....but suddenly he became a good then very good player and couldn't be kept off the NHL team.
As a guy who saw hockey in the 60s....Keon was probably the best Leaf in that decade. And geez he played in NHL and WHA till the 19802.


That would have been incredible watching those great Leafs teams in the sixites with all those hall of famers like Keon, Horton, Armstrong , Mahovlich, Kelly, Bower, Sawchuck, Baun, Pronovost, Pulford, Hillman, Ellis etc............I remember watching that 67 team as a young kid and Keon was my favourite player.

I retired a couple of years ago and had a client close to 80 years old who told me he went to Maple Leaf Gardens as a kid to excitedly watch the Leafs and his hero, the great Max Bentley and he would bring a transitor radio to the games to listen to Foster Hewitt call the play by play.

Not promissing anything but Hirvonen seems to come to play in the big games and worth keeping a eye on.
Aug. 10, 2022 at 2:13 a.m.
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Quoting: Cardiac
Thank you for that. I do rip on you for the hot takes a bit but you also do seem to be highly interested in prospects as well. Anyways if you an an honest assessment of hirvonen, I would say he has very solid upside and has been a great player for the Finnish teams over the past few years. Undersized for sure but he doesn’t play undersized. I think he fell in the 2020 draft largely due to his size but he has filled out pretty well since. He has shown a constant rate progression which is something you definitely want to see in your prospects. Seeing a lot of Finnish play over the last few years as I believe the LIIGA has the potential to overtake the SHL in terms of prestige and prospect development over the next few years. Anyways if hirvonen were a few inches taller, he would have be a no brainer first rounder imo. His LIIGA progression has been great and if I am correct he will be in the AHL next year where he could adjust to the North American game as I see that being the next big step in his development. If he is able to make a jump in his play this coming year like Jonatan Berggren did his D+3 year, he could be a high end prospect very soon. Berggren tore up the SHL his third year after being mediocre but showing flashes his D+2 year. Hirvonen has largely been the same but he has been much better internationally which could be a product of playing with first round talents like raty (I know he was taken 52nd but he was a projected first overall pick heading into his draft year) and kemell. Finland’s juniors have also been on the upwards trend in prospect production. This is the make or break year for hirvonen where he will be playing in an elevated role wherever he is, Finland or the the AHL, but either way I think if he performs, he will be viewed much higher by the community than he is now. Top 6 potential but a floor of being a great full time LIIGA player.



I have a friend who is diehard Canucks fan and a prospect follower and former writer who use to actually produce a written prospect profile with a page for each of his top 80 draft choices before each NHL draft........He wakes up early here on the Westcoast to watch prospects play in Europe.

I would not be surprised if you told me you were also writing and publishing prospect reports as well......because you have the passion and knowledge.
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Aug. 10, 2022 at 2:20 a.m.
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Quoting: TML_Tika
I have a friend who is diehard Canucks fan and a prospect follower and former writer who use to actually produce a written prospect profile with a page for each of his top 80 draft choices before each NHL draft........He wakes up early here on the Westcoast to watch prospects play in Europe.

I would not be surprised if you told me you were also writing and publishing prospect reports as well......because you have the passion and knowledge.


Thank you for the kind words. Aspiring at the moment. A few years back I applied to work with fansided and got the job but then decided against it to work on schooling. Would be job I enjoy and I am working on seeing where I could take it one day. So many leagues at the moment and a list with even 50 prospects likely has 40 different clubs in 8 different leagues. Right now there is the 3 CHL leagues, the LIIGA, SHL, KHL, MHL, USHL, and the NCAA as what are in my opinion the best producers for prospects. I would love to see where writing and scouting takes me, but I would need to refine my practice for sure. As of now it’s a hobby.
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Aug. 10, 2022 at 2:29 a.m.
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Quoting: Cardiac
Thank you for the kind words. Aspiring at the moment. A few years back I applied to work with fansided and got the job but then decided against it to work on schooling. Would be job I enjoy and I am working on seeing where I could take it one day. So many leagues at the moment and a list with even 50 prospects likely has 40 different clubs in 8 different leagues. Right now there is the 3 CHL leagues, the LIIGA, SHL, KHL, MHL, USHL, and the NCAA as what are in my opinion the best producers for prospects. I would love to see where writing and scouting takes me, but I would need to refine my practice for sure. As of now it’s a hobby.


I was a public accountant helping business owners and have seen how some hobbies grow into occupations and businesses............but think working on your schooling first is the way to go.
Aug. 10, 2022 at 2:34 a.m.
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Quoting: TML_Tika
I was a public accountant helping business owners and have seen how some hobbies grow into occupations and businesses............but think working on your schooling first is the way to go.


For sure, have to set things up to be able to have the option of having a hobby turn into a profession in the first place. Definitely want to create a program soon to help with advanced stats and build my best model for that but that is still very far away.
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Aug. 10, 2022 at 4:25 a.m.
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You call him a "home run", but then say "He has the potential to be a middle six centre or possible top six winger".

And as a 2nd round pick, you're hoping to get a middle six player.

Potential. Stop screaming about the next Robbie Earl and be realistic. Hes very undersized and while his potential is middle six, hes a lesser Robertson at this point, and potential is more often than not- not realized.

At this point hes closer to (and very comparable in skills/stature) Pontus Holmberg and Ovchinnikov, speedy, but small two way guy, but no sure thing and based on this current lineup, hes not what they need (a small/speedy guy).
Aug. 10, 2022 at 6:38 a.m.
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Quoting: Theozler
Tell you what…he becomes Dave Keon you can teabag me, if he never makes the hall of fame I get to teabag you, deal?


Wtf
Aug. 10, 2022 at 9:58 a.m.
#19
LongtimeLeafsufferer
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Quoting: TML_Tika
That would have been incredible watching those great Leafs teams in the sixites with all those hall of famers like Keon, Horton, Armstrong , Mahovlich, Kelly, Bower, Sawchuck, Baun, Pronovost, Pulford, Hillman, Ellis etc............I remember watching that 67 team as a young kid and Keon was my favourite player.

I retired a couple of years ago and had a client close to 80 years old who told me he went to Maple Leaf Gardens as a kid to excitedly watch the Leafs and his hero, the great Max Bentley and he would bring a transitor radio to the games to listen to Foster Hewitt call the play by play.

Not promissing anything but Hirvonen seems to come to play in the big games and worth keeping a eye on.


Just going back a little bit further. My father who was born in 1921 got to listen to Leaf games on Saturday night. Radio was new and expensive and not in all families in the 1920s. But my father and his father would go to my uncle's house on Saturday night and meet with other guys to listen to Foster Hewitt broadcast the Leafs games.
The Leafs used to tours in the summer throughout Ontario to promote the NHL and their team. Apparently the "Leaf" people wanted to see the most was Foster Hewitt. He was a "rock star" in the radio era.
During the 60s, even the 70s, not as many road games were broadcast on TV as they are now. I remember listening to the Leaf on my transistor radio...often when I was in bed. Leafs played a lot of games and Saturday at home, but on Sunday night were on the road. Listening to the Leafs son Sunday night on radio, and going to school the next morning.....a ritual as a kid.
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Aug. 10, 2022 at 10:26 a.m.
#20
torontos finest
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Quoting: Theozler
Tell you what…he becomes Dave Keon you can teabag me, if he never makes the hall of fame I get to teabag you, deal?


cap locks leaf fan guy: this finnish kid could end up like dave keon
you, smart man: please teabag me if he does
Aug. 10, 2022 at 11:58 a.m.
#21
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Quoting: mondo
cap locks leaf fan guy: this finnish kid could end up like dave keon
you, smart man: please teabag me if he does


Lololol
Aug. 10, 2022 at 12:20 p.m.
#22
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For real though what’s wrong saying this guy could be like a Draper/maltby type?
 
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