Maple Leafs Officially Cut 25-Year-Old Defensive Prospect Loose

Last month, the Maple Leafs added some exciting up-and-coming names, including NCAA free agent standout defenseman John Prokop and highly-coveted Dartmouth forward Luke Haymes.

The additions were accompanied by one release, unfortunately, as the Leafs' AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, terminated the long-term PTO agreement with defenseman Matt Anderson.

Anderson had been with the Marlies on a professional try out agreement since February of 2024 and had only appeared in 7 games for the organization stemming back to last season.

Anderson's departure from the organization has created an opening for Prokop to gain some valuable pro hockey experience.

The 6'3 Prokop is a larger defenseman than the 6'0 Anderson, and has a much higher ceiling. So far, Prokop has played in just 1 game with the Marlies and has not registered a point.

Anderson had produced 4 assists in his 7-game trial run with the Marlies, but had posted just 1 lone assist this season across 4 games at the time of his dismissal.

The Leafs do have a solid defensive prospect on the way in 2024 1st round pick Ben Danford, but with the Oshawa Generals captain not yet eligible for the AHL, it was imperative that they add another defensive prospect with NHL potential. Prokop is just that.