Maple Leafs Quietly Reshape Their Scouting Staff With Key Additions
Photo credit: University of Denver Athletics
The Toronto Maple Leafs added a few additions to their scouting staff in addition to Michael Kotkaniemi, as they also added former Cup winner Steven Reinprecht.
Last week it was reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs made a very savvy hiring
in the form of Michael Kotkaniemi, a former long-time European coach who was tasked with looking over the entirety of the Finnish side of things when it comes to junior scouting.
But he seemingly wasn't the only addition to the team, and they made a few other moves to shore up their scouting group which also includes adding a former Stanley Cup Champion.
Who the Maple Leafs Just Added to Their Scouting Staff
NHL Insider Kyle Cushman revealed that in addition to Kotkaniemi, the Maple Leafs had hired Olegs Koreskovs to be their Director of European Scouting as well as former Avalanche forward Steven Reinprecht to be their pro scout.
While it might be a small addition to the team, the new scouts all bring tons of experience and a different perspective when it comes to scouting so it's great that Toronto wants to attack all angles.
Why These Moves Could Matter for Toronto's Draft Future
Kotkaniemi was an interesting addition because his son, Jesperi, currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes and was also a former rival of the Leafs by virtue of playing for the Montreal Canadiens.
He comes with over 20 years of coaching experience in Europe, and is engrained in the hockey community in Finland; a place where Toronto has been historically absent from when it comes to drafting players.
Koreskovs spent the last seven years with the Maple Leafs as an amateur scout and earned a promotion to Director of European Scouting for his efforts and was primarily a scout for the USHL before signing with Toronto in 2018-19.
The biggest name here would be Reinprecht, a former Avalanche forward who posted 382 points in 663 games split between Phoenix, Colorado, Florida, Calgary, and Los Angeles.
He won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2001 and was a crucial role player in their dynasty that included Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Chris Drury, Patrick Roy, Rob Blake, Mila Hejduk and Alex Tanguay.
Adding him to the fray will give the Maple Leafs a proven winner who's style of play could be a perfect fit for finding a Craig Berube-type player; he was a gritty two-way forward who played great defense so he could be on the lookout for that next diamond in the rough.
He spent time as an Assistant Coach at the University of Denver, as well as a Player Development Coach with the Avalanche from 2019-2024 before coaching Dusseldorfer EG of the DEL last season.
Previously on HockeyPatrol
POLL |
AOUT 28 | 745 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Quietly Reshape Their Scouting Staff With Key Additions Do you think Toronto made a good decision to hire Steven Reinprecht as a pro scout? |
Yes | 613 | 82.3 % |
No | 132 | 17.7 % |
List of polls |