"Niemelä, 23, was a third-round pick by the Maple Leafs in 2020 and quickly became one of the organizations most promising prospects with a strong season as a teenager in the SM-Liiga in Finland with Karpat. Niemelä became a top-ranking name in the Leafs system at the 2021 World Juniors when he was named top defenceman at the tournament with eight points in seven games as Finland went on to win the bronze medal."
"He's a playmaker on the blue line and despite a dip in production last season he's shown that he has the ability to set up his teammates throughout his young career. He's shown to be reliable at both ends of the ice but there is room for improvement in the defensive zone. His size is his biggest concern as he is listed at 6'0" and 179 lbs."
"Last season was a disappointing season for Niemelä. Following a strong 2023-24 campaign where he had 39 points in 68 games for the Marlies and looked like a potential call-up to the Leafs he took a step back scoring just 22 points in 61 games and his plus-3 dropped to a minus-11."
Topi Niemelä, 23, is a Finnish defenceman drafted in the third round by Toronto in 2020. He produced a strong season as a teenager in SM-Liiga with Karpat and earned top defenceman honours at the 2021 World Juniors with eight points in seven games as Finland won bronze. Niemelä posted a career-high 39 points in 68 AHL games in 2023-24 after joining the Toronto Marlies, but his role and production dipped to 22 points in 61 games the following season. He is a playmaking blue-liner with two-way potential, but defensive positioning and his 6'0", 179-lb frame remain concerns; he signed with Malmö Redhawks to regain form.
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