New York Islanders Steal Highly-Touted Free Agent from the Toronto Maple Leafs

Just a couple of days ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs were able to sign defenseman John Prokop from Union College in a move to sure up the organization's blueline depth.

Brad Treliving and his staff want to make sure the Toronto Marlies are well-stocked and bringing in college guys seems like the move that makes the most sense these days.

As we reported, the Maple Leafs are interested in bringing in some college forwards but it would appear as though other teams around the league have the exact same idea.

We say that because just yesterday, the New York Islanders signed Colorado College forward Gleb Veremyev to an entry-level deal.

Veremyev was a 6'4" winger that the Toronto Maple Leafs had their eyes on, however, he was scooped up by an Islanders team that could definitely use some firepower these days.

The forward had 17 points in 37 games this season which is a drop off from last year when he had 28 points in 37 games. At 21 years old, he certainly has some development left in him.

The most likely course of action for Gleb Veremyev is going to be Islanders development camp where the team will then determine whether or not he stays in the NHL or goes down to the AHL.

While he is most likely to stay in the AHL for a couple of years, he could very well impress the organization and get himself a permanent spot on the team.

Overall, there is a lot to like about this player and we're sure the Maple Leafs are feeling a bit down about losing out on him.

Meanwhile, there are still a lot of talented college guys out there, so the Leafs shouldn't sweat it too hard. There will be other opportunities to sign guys.