Leafs sign 23-year old forward Miro Aaltonen

[CarltonTheBear]

[tweet]842815375637123075[/tweet]

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=44162

Was a former 6th round pick by Anaheim in 2013. Small guy at 5'10" and 176lbs, but apparently has talent and works hard. I'm sure we'll get more information about him in the next day or two.

 

[herman]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TWR8Oiav-E[/youtube]

Lefty Seth Griffith?

Watching some other highlights, he looks like a shifty skater with good hands and a nose for driving the net.

 

[herman]

https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2017/03/17/toronto-maple-leafs-sign-miro-aaltonen-entry-level-contract/

http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2017/3/17/14961810/toronto-maple-leafs-sign-khl-standout-forward-miro-aaltonen

https://theleafsnation.com/2017/03/17/maple-leafs-sign-finnish-forward-miro-aaltonen-to-entry-level-contract/

The McKeen's scouting report makes him sound like almost-Soshnikov, which isn't as good as Lefty Seth Griffith.

 

[Bender]

Man these are not flattering at all.

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk

 

[herman]

http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/toronto-maple-leafs-prospects/2017/3/21/14968602/miro-aaltonen-isnt-a-free-wallet-a-free-second-round-pick-toront-maple-leafs-prospects-draft-picks

The other option for a pick-deprived team who wants to spend to grow, but doesn?t want to be handcuffed a few years down the road with a dwindling prospect pool, is to find the so called free-wallet: undrafted or unsigned players.

Miro Aaltonen is just the latest one of these the Leafs have snapped up. He actually was drafted in the sixth round in 2013, so he is sort of a back dated found pick. Aaltonen was taken five spots away from Antoine Bibeau in that draft, so the Leafs could have had him then. Now they have both.

They also have Trevor Moore, Nikita Soshnikov, Nikita Zaitsev, Justin Holl and Kasimir Kaskisuo. Along with Aaltonen, these players all have one thing in common: they were signed before they were 25, so every one of them began their Leafs career on an ELC and waiver exempt.

I hope they give Tyler Wong another look as well.