Leafs prospect Topi Niemela leaves North America, signs one-year deal with SHL’s Malmo
The Toronto Maple Leafs and prospect defenseman Topi Niemela are inching closer to the end of the line.
On Monday, the Malmo Redhawks of the SHL, Sweden’s top pro league, announced they’d signed Niemela to a one-year contract.
“We have been looking for a defenseman with Topi’s profile and qualities, and he wants to come here because he sees a strong development environment with us,” said Oscar Alsenfelt, Malmo’s sporting director, per a translation. “He wants to get better and break into the NHL – and we will help him with that.”
Niemela’s foray into North America ends for now after he’d played the past two seasons and change with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL.
The Leafs selected Niemela in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, 64th overall. He showed promise as a mobile, intelligent two-way defenseman and was a fixture on multiple Finnish World Junior teams. Last offseason, Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis ranked Niemela as Toronto’s third-best prospect, and the Leafs traded the No. 2 player on the list, Fraser Minten, at the deadline this past season.
Niemela, 23, regressed in 2024-25 after it looked like he was moving in the right direction during his first full North American campaign. In 2023-24, he collected eight goals and 39 points in 68 games, showing promise as the Marlies’ power-play quarterback. His totals dipped to just two goals and 22 points in 62 games this past season, and he fell in the organizational pecking order. The Leafs, who prioritize size under GM Brad Treliving, wanted Niemela to add muscle to his six-foot 181-pound frame, and heavier blueliners such as Cade Webber and William Villeneuve climbed ahead of Niemela on the depth chart.
Niemela is a restricted free agent. The Leafs will retain his rights if they extend him a qualifying offer by June 30. Niemela isn’t the only prospect Leafs blueliner to sign with a European team since Toronto’s season ended, either; Roni Hirvonen inked a one-year contract with Karpat of the Finnish Liiga last week.