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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that the club has signed 2015 draft picks Andrew Nielsen and Dmytro Timashov to entry level contracts.

For both players, this is a reward for excellent starts to their 2015-16 junior campaigns, as they’ll receive signing bonuses attached to their three-year NHL entry-level deals.

Nielsen, who turned 19 last week, has seen his point production skyrocket in the first 23 games of his plus-one season with Lethbridge. The 6’3 defenceman has already exactly matched his seven-goal, 24-point output from last year and he’s done it in only 23 games, compared to 59 games in his draft year.

Kyle Dubas hinted at some offensive upside in Nielsen’s game back at the draft, while Mark Hunter suggested he could be a late bloomer given he was playing “double B” just four years ago.

Timashov — whose numbers last year stood up well among his 2015 draft peers, suggestive of a potential overlooked fifth-round steal — has also taken a significant step forward through 23 games in Quebec. His goal production is up to 13 goals in 23 games compared to 19 goals in 66 games last season, and if he holds his current points pace he’ll finish with 118 points (prorated over 66 games).


From the Leafs‘ official press release:

Nielsen, 19, was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the third round (65th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft. The Red Deer, Alberta native has collected 24 points (seven goals, 17 assists) in 23 regular season games with the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL) this season. Nielsen is fourth in team scoring and tied for second among all WHL defencemen.

Timashov, 19, was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the fifth round (125th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft. The Kirovograd, Ukraine native currently leads the Quebec Remparts with 41 points (13 goals, 28 assists) in 23 regular season games, placing him tied for sixth in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) scoring. He was named QMJHL rookie of the year last season and finished 12th overall in scoring while also picking up four points (3 goals, 1 assist) in five games in the 2015 Memorial Cup.