Kicking off our top 10 prospects is Ryan Tverberg, a 22-year-old forward that the Leafs drafted in the 7th round of the 2020 NHL Draft. From these humble beginnings in the Leafs organization, Tverberg has already come a long way. There are more skilled and more discussed prospects within the Leafs system, but a closer look at his progress reveals a lot to like about the right shot. Due to his relative draft obscurity, many across Leafs Nation might be unfamiliar with Tverberg, but the time has come for fans to start considering him in the context of the NHL roster.
Tverberg’s strengths and weaknesses
Drafted out of the OJHL, Tverberg has always been seen as a longer-term project, perhaps even with limited offensive upside. Four traits have been obviously identifiable from the start: effort, defensive responsibility, physicality, and speed. These traits give Tverberg a lot to work with, and bode well for his earning the trust of his coaches at any level.
The easiest trait to notice is the speed, as dating back to his NCAA career Tverberg was able to do a lot of damage off the rush. In particular, Tverberg was able to score on a lot of breakaways, showing off some puckhandling skills in the process. It might be tough for Tverberg to outspeed his opposition at higher levels, but this speed will be useful for forechecking and backchecking all the same. He might lack the explosive agility of high-end forwards, but at the very least Tverberg should be able to keep up with the pace of the NHL.
This pace lends itself well to Tverberg’s general defensive responsibility, as does his physicality. Far from the biggest player, Tverberg has a solid frame and is a willing combatant in contested ice. With the mind to be in proper position, the speed to get there and the strength to outmuscle opponents, Tverberg also has the will to apply them with a consistent intensity. All together, Tverberg is thought of as having everything required to be a bottom six NHL forward at some point.
Tverberg’s production
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Toronto Jr. Canadiens | OJHL | 47 | 26 | 25 | 51 |
| 2020–21 | U. of Connecticut | H-East | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 2021–22 | U. of Connecticut | H-East | 36 | 14 | 18 | 32 |
| 2022–23 | U. of Connecticut | H-East | 35 | 15 | 15 | 30 |
| 2022–23 | Toronto Marlies | AHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023–24 | Toronto Marlies | AHL | 46 | 9 | 23 | 32 |
While these core traits have only been proven true since being drafted, Tverberg has been able to build on some of the perceived weaknesses of his draft profile. His production does not exactly jump off the page, but there has been steady progression. Tverberg was able to be an offensive leader for his team in the NCAA, and had an effective season in 2023–24 as an AHL rookie.
Beyond the sheer numbers, Tverberg had a spot on his weak side flank on the Marlies power play, and was able to score from this area. The nine goals he scored as an AHL rookie are not a lot, but we can see that Tverberg is adding some skills through the years. Tverberg has become more than just a rush scorer, and there might yet be a continued growth to his offensive quality in the future.
His 23 assists as an AHL rookie might be indicative of this offensive evolution as well. This disparity between goals and assists is rare for Tverberg, who has had a fairly equal spread of goals to assists since his draft year. Again, the expectation here should not be a dynamic NHL scorer, but rather that Tverberg has the hockey sense to play better and better as he moves up the ranks, and a season-to-season relentlessness that mirrors his shift-to-shift work ethic.
After finishing a solid NCAA career and turning pro last spring, subsequently being held pointless in a seven-game AHL audition in 2022–23, Tverberg put together a fantastic AHL rookie season. The Leafs will be hoping other prospects of similar career progressions can fare as well as Tverberg did, perhaps Jacob Quillan, who unfortunately did not make this top prospects list. Tverberg finished eighth among Marlies scorers, despite playing in only 46 games.
Tverberg’s next steps
Tverberg will likely spend another complete season in the AHL, and there is still a lot for him to prove in that league. Naturally, fans will be looking for an increased scoring rate, eclipsing 15 goals would be a welcome sight. If Tverberg is able to maintain his roughly 0.5 assists per game mark from last season, it would be a positive sign, not to mention any increased production there.
Outside of sheer numbers, how Tverberg is able to impact the game is probably more important to track. While scoring off the rush and the power play flank are impressive, they might not be as protectable to the NHL, much less the Leafs who already boast a great deal of high-end skill.
The biggest thing to look for should instead be his ability in tight areas. This might include a penalty killing role, forechecking prowess, winning board battles, and helping to generate net front chances. Another year bigger, stronger, and more experienced should help, but if Tverberg can keep adding to his skillset he might be able to continue shattering expectations of his career. This might come in the form of some crafty puck control in tight, better puck protection skills, and perhaps even an increased poise to help him find better plays under pressure.
Zach Hyman is a former Leaf who has continued to improve his puck skills over the seasons, but might be too lofty a comparison coming off an incredible 50-goal season. Trevor Moore, another former Leaf, might be a more apt comparable as a stout body with a great motor who has been able to keep building his game. Player comparisons are perilous, but there seems to be a path for Tverberg to be able to become a good middle-six NHL forward.
Tverberg’s 2024–25 projection
If we were to try to project an optimistic but reasonable 2024–25 season for Tverberg, who will turn 23 around midseason, it would start with a promising performance at training camp. There will be many bigger storylines in Leafs training camp, and a push to make the NHL team out of camp outright seems a bit unlikely, but any mention of his work will be well earned. He should be an integral piece of the Marlies forward group, and perhaps even one of its more consistent scorers. Approaching 20 goals or 50 points in the AHL would be a great step up in production.
Endearing himself to his NHL coaches in training camp and to AHL coaches through the first half of the season might be enough to push Tverberg higher on the list of potential injury call-ups. At this point, Tverberg is not top of mind for such a role, but he is in striking distance of being so come 2025.
