Maple Leafs Could Take a Chance on Underrated Prospect With NHL Potential

In years past, certain players have proven that success isn't linear and that being drafted doesn't instantly guarantee a ticket to the National Hockey League, but not being drafted doesn't close any doors either.

This past season, there were more undrafted players in the NHL than from each round from rounds 3-7. Undrafted players make up a large part of the NHL's player base, and are often quite pleasant surprises at the end of the day.

Many undrafted prospects have gone on to be top players in the NHL in recent years, including Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Jonathan Marchessault.

In recent years, there have been undrafted players who have gone from raw players to becoming legitimate NHLers.

Recent signings out of Europe include Maxim Tsyplakov to the New York Islanders, and this offseason saw Maxim Shabanov to the Philadelphia Flyers and Atro Leppanen to the Edmonton Oilers.

The latter having been only years earlier in Finland's fourth-tier, and never having played in the Finnish U20.

Even in North America have undrafted free agents managed to be a gained an NHL career. Many players go on to succeed taking the extended NCAA pathway to mature their game, and some CHLers have managed to carve out a career despite not being selected in the draft.

There is one player who has grown exponentially in the KHL who's play last season has warranted a potential signing in the future.

Russian Forward Danil Aimurzin has been a force in the KHL with Severstal, the 23-year-old already one of the best players in the league.

Aimurzin was not a top prospect in the 2020 NHL Draft, and wasn't ranked by NHL Central Scouting. It took Aimurzin some time to get going, having been solid in the Russian junior circuit and the second men's tier, before jumping to the KHL full-time in 2023-24, and being one of the best in the league in that short span.

Aimurzin is a 200-ft center who can play at both ends, and has a good hockey sense, capable with the puck. Aimurzin won't get the same chances he does in Russia, but is responsible enough to work in a middle-six role in the NHL.

Aimurzin had 31 goals, 26 assists, and 57 points in 66 games this season for Severstal. There were rumors he could leave Severstal for the NHL after this past season, but ultimately signed a one-year extension.

The Leafs have somewhat of a potential connection for Airmurzin, the forward having been a teammate for former Toronto draft pick, the late Rodion Amirov. The two knew each other even though they were not close friends, but had been friendly with each other, with Amirov having played more in the KHL for Ufa.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are no stranger to succeeding in the free agent market for undrafted's, with some success stories including Bobby McMann and Tyler Bozak, as well in Europe with Ilya Mikheyev and Nikita Zaitsev.

A common theme among many of the successful undrafted free agents out of Europe is that many of the best are Russian.

Understandable as Russia has often been one of the least scouted major regions in Hockey, even more so with the war in Ukraine having had some NHL teams pull their scouts from the region.

Even before the war was the "Russian Factor", the idea that players wouldn't come over, a real concern that ultimately has lessened as a fear in recent years, but still exists.

You have several players to thank as well for coming over and becoming superstars, and proved that they are not only willing to come over; but dominate.

With the Russian pathway one that has opened up players to develop a bit longer, but ultimately find their game and gain NHL potential, Aimurzin could be one player who takes that leap to North America and succeeds.