Maple Leafs Have Opportunity to Poach Two Top Prospects from Division Rival to Bolster Future

For most NHL draft prospects, there is a signing window in which players must be signed or have their rights relinquished by their current team, allowing them to either be re-drafted or able to be signed by any of the 31 other NHL teams, or any team for that matter.

Currently, the Buffalo Sabres have a few players who seem to be players of interest down the road for teams to look at.

The Sabres will have three players who, if not signed by June 1st, will no longer be members of the organization: Ethan Miedema, Viljami Marjala, & William von Barnekow.

All three are players who could flesh out a pro career, and gain another possible shot in an NHL organization in the future.

The Sabres have a few players who may or may not sign, and could be of appeal to a few teams, including Toronto.

The Leafs don't have any players up at the 2025 signing deadline, they do have some college players who need to be signed by August, but they could still find a way to add.

Miedema, a fourth-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2023 NHL Draft, is a 6'4 forward weighing at 210 pounds who skates well for his size and possesses a solid offensive game, able to control play with the puck well.

Miedema has had issues with consistency throughout his OHL career that has left him struggling to take his game to the next level.

As well, Miedema doesn't use his big body the way he should as often, although able to deliver hits, he doesn't play physical enough for his power forward frame.

The Sabres could still sign Miedema by June 1st and hope that his raw tools can be refined with higher level of coaching.

Buffalo could retain Miedema's rights for two more years if he plays college hockey in the U.S., now a feature of the CHL/NCAA agreement that allows for the four year window reserved for NCAA athletes, although he'd be without a deal after his sophomore year rather than a senior.

Viljami Marjala, 22, is a fifth round pick of the Sabres in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Marjala had done well in North America in the QMJHL, but left as he wanted to return to his native Finland. Marjala has continued to impress, dominating in the Finnish top tier Liiga, with a team leading 44 assists and 52 points this season.

The Finn Marjala is a well-rounded forward who can play both ends of the ice and skates well, but seems to be comfortable in Finland.

That makes it an uncertainty if he'll move to North America, especially with the Sabres having a deep roster on offense, and top prospects such as Isak Rosen, Konsta Helenius, and Noah Ostlund in the wait.

Both Marjala and forward William von Barnekow are signed in Europe for next season, making a jump to North America seemingly unlikely.

Marjala could still ultimately sign with an NHL team, and if he continues to showcase his skill in Finland it could lead to a proper NHL deal down the road.

The Toronto Maple Leafs could be fits for both Miedema and Marjala, depending on what they're looking for.

Marjala may be a wait for an NHL contract to come along, but the Leafs have been competitors when it comes to European free agents in recent years, having been in on Maxim Tsyplakov last season, who ultimately went to the Islanders, as well as last year signing Nicolas Mattinen from Germany.

The Leafs could also look at other expiring deals for a potential signing, perhaps more promising options.

One name to look out for is Los Angeles Kings defenseman Matthew Mania. The Flint Firebirds defenseman is a mobile puck-mover who can provide offense and transition ability.

Mania played with Leafs Draft pick Sam McCue in Flint after he was traded to the Firebirds at the OHL trade deadline.

Another option could be Chicago's Alex Pharand. The 20-year-old Sudbury Wolves forward was teammates with Mania in the OHL when the two played in Sudbury, and was a youth teammate of McCue.

Pharand is a two-way forward who can play both at center and on the wing, an archetype the Leafs have appreciated, and had 17 goals and 59 points this season with the Wolves.

The ability to do most things on the ice make Pharand a player who could potentially fit in a bottom-line role in the NHL if he makes it.

Both could be re-entry candidates for the Leafs to look at for the NHL Draft as players who could end up in the system and potentially the NHL.