Maple Leafs prospect draws unique NHL comparison according to prospect analyst
Photo credit: Steven Ellis/USA TODAY Sports
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a sneaky good player in their system in Roni Hirvonen who has recently drawn comparisons to one veteran of the rival Montreal Canadiens according to one analyst.
After struggling initially in his professional career, Hirvonen has begun to find his stride especially since returning from not one, but two possibly career threatening injuries. During developmental camp in 2022-2023, Hirvonen found himself on the wrong end of a nasty hit from Nolan Dillingham:
Following his recovery from that, it was only a few days into the season when Hirvonen suffered a catastrophic eye injury after being high-sticked. He wasn't sure if he would ever play again but made a miraculous return to the lineup at the end of January:
It wasn't long before Hirvonen made an impact, adding an assist in his first game back:
But coming into 2024 there are a lot of questions surrounding how Hirvonen will do in his sophomore season in North America, especially coming off such injuries; but junior prospect analyst Ryan Ma has given Hirvonen some hearty praise by comparing him to a veteran with a rival link to the Maple Leafs:
"I see shades of Brendan Gallagher in Hirvonen. The physical style of game and the good but not elite tool kit in that frame make the Montreal Canadiens veteran the dream scenario for Leafs fans."
He does have some hopes though, as Ma believes he could fit suitably in a bottom-six role for the team while also being able to be a key contributor at times:
"In terms of NHL projection, I think Hirvonen likely tops out as a bottom-six, energy player who can chip in offensively and play a two-way game. There's some penalty kill value there and he can be a much more impactful version of guys like Zach Aston-Reese or Noah Gregor whom the Leafs have rotated in that fourth-line role over the years."
It's been a long road for the young forward from Finland, but if he manages to stay healthy and ride a wave of momentum at some point this season, he could find himself with a quick audition for the Maple Leafs.
| POLL | ||
2 SEPTEMBRE | 25 ANSWERS Maple Leafs prospect draws unique NHL comparison according to prospect analyst Will Roni Hirvonen play in the NHL this year? | ||
| Yes | 9 | 36 % |
| No | 16 | 64 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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