The Toronto Maple Leafs are bringing one of their prospects across the Atlantic. Finnish defenseman Axel Rindell, one of the team’s three sixth-round picks in 2020, is signing a two-year entry-level contract that will kick in in 2022-23. The team announced that Rindell will sign an AHL professional tryout deal so that he can join the Toronto Marlies for the rest of this season.
Rindell, 21, has been playing in Liiga in his native Finland for the past three seasons. He spent his first two seasons playing for Mikkelin Jukurit, before switching midway through this season to play for Karpat. Rindell has flashed decent offense in Liiga, one of the best men’s leagues outside the NHL, and has 12 points in 26 games for Karpat this season.
Rindell is an undersized defenseman, standing at five-foot-ten and 174 pounds, but like many other undersized blueliners he has carved out his professional career on the back of his skating, puck skills, and abilities on the power play. He represented his country at the 2021 IIHF World Championship, winning a silver medal, and if he can transition his solid play in Liiga to his North American professional career perhaps Toronto will have unearthed a nice find from late in the 2020 draft.