NHL Future Watch: Nick Abruzzese Hockey Cards, Toronto Maple Leafs – Nicholas Abruzzese was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Draft. The Slate, New York native is an admitted late bloomer. He told me that heading into his draft season. His journey has been an interesting one.
When he was younger, he played for an elite team called the North Jersey Avalanche. They helped him gain skills to improve his game. The 2016-17 season was his last there, and he had 18 goals and 25 assists in 32 games. He caught the eye of Chicago Steel scouts, an elite team in the USHL.
In 2017-18, his first USHL season, he had 13 goals and 36 points in 56 games. He added four points in seven playoff games. In 2018-19, he made a jump. Abruzzese had 29 goals and 80 points in 62 games. Abruzzese had the most assists and points in the league. He led his team in scoring. Amazingly, that didn’t include his 14 points in 11 playoff games. However, he wasn’t the highest-drafted player on his team. Why? At 5’11”, 183 pounds, and a bit older, I believe some felt his ceiling wasn’t as high as some of the younger draft-eligible players.
Abruzzese joined Harvard University, a very successful team in the ECAC conference the next season. In his first season, the versatile forward had 44 points in 31 games. At the end of the season, Abruzzese earned NCAA (East) Second All-American Team, ECAC Rookie of the Year, and more. He had a huge impact.
2020-21 was a lost season due to the pandemic. Some of his momentum had to be restarted.
In 2021-22, he had 33 points in 28 games. After the season, he signed with Toronto and scored a point in nine games. During that season, he was on the U.S. Olympic team and had four points in four games.
2022-23 was a big year for this prospect. In his first 45 games with the Toronto Marlies, Abruzzese had 13 goals and 19 helpers. That’s excellent production.
NHL Future Watch: Nick Abruzzese Cards Worth Chasing
The first card you want to get is Abruzzese’s 2022-23 Upper Deck Young Guns Rookie. The photo shows him in a classic blue Leaf sweater.
His next best card is the 2022-23 Upper Deck Artifacts Rookie.
The last option, for now, would be the French version of his Young Guns Rookie. Collect him while he’s cheap.
NHL Future Watch: Nick Abruzzese Hockey Cards, Toronto Maple Leafs – Stats
Statistical image generated on Hockey Reference 02/17/2023.
NHL Future Watch: Nick Abruzzese Hockey Cards, Toronto Maple Leafs – More Resources
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For more from Russ Cohen, follow him on Twitter @sportsology.
Russ Cohen
is the author of several top-selling sports related books.
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