TLN’s 2023 Offseason Leafs Prospect Rankings: #17 Ryan Tverberg

We have updated the criteria from previous editions of TLN’s prospect rankings regarding who is considered a “prospect” for the purpose of this exercise. Rather than hard and fast limits on age or NHL games played, our group decided on a more nuanced approach to include any reasonably young player who is either under contract with the Leafs or on the club’s reserve list, who has not yet established himself as a full-time NHLer. This includes players such as Matthew Knies and Joseph Woll, who made strong impressions in limited NHL action last season and are expected to make the 2023-24 opening day roster but does not include late-bloomer Bobby McMann, who will also be vying for an NHL roster spot heading into his age-27 season. 2020 first-round pick Rodion Amirov has also been excluded as the focus remains on his treatment and recovery after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in February of 2022.

Ryan Tverberg has been one of the more fascinating stories in the Leafs’ system over the last couple of seasons.

The Leafs entered the 2020 draft with an abundance of draft capital, but even after selecting 11 players, they made a move to acquire another seventh-round pick and draft Tverberg out of the OJHL. Toronto’s scouting staff clearly saw some ‘diamond in the rough’ potential in the Richmond Hill native, and he has rewarded their faith in him to this point.

Tverberg’s development path has been an interesting one, to say the least. A relative unknown coming out of the OJHL, the initial plan was for him to spend his draft+1 campaign playing in the BCHL before beginning his collegiate career at Harvard the following season. Just like the rest of the world, however, Tverberg’s plans were turned upside down by the onset of the pandemic.

With the BCHL shut down for the season and Harvard also canceling their winter sports programs, Tverberg was forced to alter course and recommit to the University of Connecticut. He would go on to join the Huskies and begin his NCAA career in the second half of the 2020-21 season, making an impact almost immediately. Tverberg got into just 14 games down the stretch of what was technically his freshman year, but he managed to tally four goals and three assists after nearly an entire year on the sidelines.

Beyond the raw offensive numbers, his play at UConn turned heads, and he was invited to Team Canada’s selection camp for the 2021 World Juniors. Tverberg was ultimately left off the final roster, but working his way into contention for a spot on the team signaled a rapid ascent for a player who had been drafted in the seventh round out of the OJHL just a year prior.

Tverberg continued on that upward trajectory throughout his sophomore year with the Huskies, leading the club with 14 goals while adding 18 assists in 36 games. Last season, he showed his versatility by playing centre more frequently and once again led the team with 15 goals, chipping in 15 helpers over 35 games.

At the conclusion of his junior year, Tverberg was rewarded with an entry-level contract with the Leafs and began his pro career by skating in seven games with the Marlies to close the season. Though he was held off the scoresheet, Tverberg had started generating chances at a higher rate and was looking more comfortable at the AHL level with each passing shift before an injury limited him to just one of the club’s final five games.

Though he was productive in college and showed signs of being a capable offensive contributor in limited AHL action last year, it is the energy and tenacity that Tverberg brings from shift to shift that will help propel him up the Leafs’ organizational depth chart. Likely more of a complementary scoring threat at the pro level, he helps to drive play for his team by pushing the pace and hounding pucks with his speed and motor. He is a strong forechecker with good puck-pursuit tendencies, and he is more than willing to engage physically in order to separate opposing players from the puck.