Maple Leafs facing the potential risk of losing a promising defensive prospect

A teammate of Leafs forward Matthew Knies at the University of Minnesota, defenseman Mike Koster was drafted by the Leafs in the fifth round of the 2019 entry draft.

The 23-year-old, right-shot defenceman exploded for 6 goals and 29 points during the 2022-2023 when the Gophers had the likes of Logan Cooley, Knies and Brock Faber in their lineup.

Last season, with the departure of those three, Koster managed just 12 points and at 5'10, doesn't exactly fit the Leafs' new philosophy of big bodies and heavy hockey.

Like Miettinen, adding Koster would add some depth at his position to the Leafs organization. He also has the luxury of being further along in his development and could step into the Leafs' lineup sooner than later.

The Leafs do have the room to sign both Miettinen and Koster this season as they sit at just 45 of 50 player contracts. With less than a week until they lose the rights to both, it will be interesting to see if they make one final attempt at signing either of them.

Source: HockeyDB
Mike Koster stats