The Toronto Maple Leafs are here in the NHL prospect pool overview series.
Tony Ferrari digs into the Maple Leafs’ strengths and weaknesses, latest draft class, positional depth chart, next player in line for an NHL opportunity and more. A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer a prospect for these exercises, with few exceptions.
Initial Thoughts
The Toronto Maple Leafs are entering a new era. The ‘Core Four’ has become the ‘Core Two’ with Mitch Marner now in Vegas and John Tavares signing an extension worth under $5 million. Auston Matthews and William Nylander are the only two players on the roster making over $7.75 million. This has allowed them to fill out other parts of their roster and build a team around their stars. They may not be as flashy, but there is a real chance that they may have more substance to their game.
That’s not to say they’re a better team, though, because losing a 100-point player is devastating in most situations. It also means that they are heading into the regular season with cap space for the first time in a while. The Leafs could be looking to integrate some of their youth to help take some of the offensive load on after Marner’s departure, not that any one player in their system is poised to take on even half of what Marner was responsible for from the powerplay to the penalty kill, as well as the even strength production.
Easton Cowan represents the Leafs' best hope for a top six impact player, and we could see him get a shot at some point this upcoming season. Cowan is a smart, motivated forward who is constantly both outthinking and outworking his opponents. Cowan’s creativity as a playmaker is notable as well, using his speed and skill to draw defenders in and then pass through their vacated space to find a teammate. He had become one of the most dangerous offensive players in the OHL over the last two seasons, and he led the London Knights to consecutive OHL titles and a Memorial Cup in his time in London. He’s likely to start the year in the AHL, but he could be getting into NHL games this season.
At nearly a point per game in his first WHL season last year, Miroslav Holinka continues to show that he could be one of the Leafs' better late-round picks. His skill continues to mature, utilizing it in constructive ways to attack offensively. He never seems to be looking to deke and dangle, but he has the skill to do so when faced with pressure or closing defenders. Holinka impressed with his efficient defensive game as well. If he can continue growing offensively and mature physically, Holinka has a real chance of being a steady, shifty middle-six forward for the Leafs one day.
It was a bit surprising to see how smoothly Jacob Quillan transitioned into his first full AHL season last year. He’s a heavy, straightforward center who finds success when crashing and banging around the crease. He’s committed to playing a sound two-way game, but he will need to continue to get quicker and more decisive with the puck through the neutral zone if he wants to find the same success at the NHL level. The former Quinnipiac standout has the chance to be a solid bottom-six performer down the road.
Although not truly a prospect, 24-year-old Henry Thrun was acquired by the Leafs in a deal that helped them free up some cap space by sending veteran enforcer Ryan Reaves to San Jose. Thrun might be looked at as the team’s seventh defenseman. He could be a player who works into the lineup from time to time when they want a change of pace. Thrun is a decent enough puck mover when he keeps it simple, and he’s a good defensive skater.
The upcoming season will be the real test for Noah Chadwick, who has become a very productive WHL defenseman over the last couple of years. His vision and passing ability were impressive. He wants to keep possession of the puck, opting to stay patient and hold onto the puck for an extra beat if it means he can make a pass instead of dumping the puck out. While all of this has worked at the WHL level, his skating will be the make-or-break trait. He has size, defensive intellect and offensive creativity; he just lacks the mobility to pull it all together.
If you want a simple, effective, physical defender who can just kill play and move the puck to his teammates, Ben Danford is your guy. He skates well, defends intelligently, and understands his role. Danford isn’t going to be an offensive stalwart, but he is a capable puck mover who can hit targets on the breakout with crisp passes and good decisions.
Watching Victor Johansson develop over the last couple of years has been interesting. He is a skilled puck mover on the back end who excels as a skater and a passer. The biggest question has always been his physical development, drafted as a player under 150 pounds just over a year ago. He looks set to play in the SHL primarily next season, and that will provide yet another test for the 19-year-old blueliner. If he looks good at the pro level in Sweden next year, a jump to the AHL the following year might be in order.
Speaking of the AHL, William Villeneuve was the Marlies' top scoring defender last season, nearly doubling the point totals of the next highest scoring blueliner. He looked great at the AHL level, finding teammates in the offensive zone with good, hard passes. He’s not really a player who initiates offense himself, rather adding on and continuing to move the puck when it gets to him. If he wants to find an NHL role, he will need to find a bit more fluidity and quickness on his feet.
Toronto has one of the more underrated goalie tandems in the league with Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll, but having a goalie or two in the pipeline is important. Artur Akhtyamov is their top prospect in the crease. The 6-foot-2 netminder made his North American debut last season and started incredibly strong, but his game levelled off a bit toward the end of the season. Akhtyamov is a very good puck tracker who can play a bit aggressively in net. He closes down the angle quickly, looks to make himself look bigger than he is and get ahead of the play. He had a strong first season and will need to continue down this path next season to establish himself as the surefire third option if injuries occur at the NHL level.
U-23 Players Likely To Be On NHL Roster This Season
Matthew Knies (LW)
2025 NHL Draft Class
Round 2, 64 overall - Tinus Luc Koblar, C, Leksands Jr. (Swe)
Round 3, 86 overall - Tyler Hopkins, C, Kingston (OHL)
Round 5, 137 overall - Will Belle, RW, U.S. National Development Team (USHL)
Round 5, 153 overall - Harry Nansi, C/RW, Owen Sound (OHL)
Round 6, 185 overall - Rylan Fellinger, D, Flint (OHL)
Round 7, 217 overall - Matthew Hlacar, LW, Kitchener (OHL)
The Leafs' first pick came at the tail end of round two, where they chose Tinus Luc Koblar, an interesting swing on physical tools and projection. He’s a big, strong center who embraced his physical gifts more as the season wore on, throwing his weight around and using his frame to protect the puck. The 6-foot-3 center is a crafty forechecker, using his mobility and play reading to take excellent routes to the puck and strip defenders with ease if he wasn’t first on the puck.
His passing game is where you can best gauge his intellect, finding outlets and hitting teammates in stride all over the ice to advance the puck into a more advantageous position for his team. Koblar didn’t produce at a high level in Swedish junior hockey this year, but he consistently impacted the game and made intelligent plays. As a late July birthday, Koblar is on the younger side of the draft class, so he has ample runway to continue developing his skills.
The Leafs took Tyler Hopkins at 86th overall, looking to add some speed and versatility to their pipeline. Hopkins has the tools to be a potential bottom-six two-way forward who plays with pace and gives his team some relentless forechecking. Hopkins hasn’t quite put it all together consistently just yet. His feet are always moving, he’s always trying to do something, and that works great at the junior level. He needs to develop a bit more methodical play to his game and work off what is happening on the ice, rather than trying to just force things at times.
William Belle falling into the fifth round wasn’t expected coming into the season, but on an NTDP team with underwhelming talent in general, his numbers weren’t anything to write home about. Belle is a power forward who likes to impose himself on defenders on the forecheck. He needs to work on his offensive tools and generate a bit more off of his excellent forechecking. His defensive game and physicality will only get him so far. Skill development while playing for Notre Dame in the NCAA will be key.
Toronto added Harry Nansi in the fifth round as well, giving them another big, physical forward, but with Nansi, there might be room for significant growth. He was so often asked to be ‘The Guy’ in Owen Sound this last season, and he did his best to embrace it. He used his speed and power, stayed engaged on nearly every shift, and made some incredible passes at times. Nansi isn’t a driver, though, and if he had a center that could truly help him, Nansi could flourish. The most intriguing part of this unfinished product is that he is one of the youngest players in the 2025 draft class, just six days away from being eligible for next year’s draft, so the runway is especially long with Nansi.
When the Leafs took blueliner Ryan Fellinger, it was a bet on a big kid getting a bit faster and developing a bit of puck skill. He’s a raw, defensively focused player who can cut off play in the neutral zone, and he brings a bit of a physical edge. It’s not a fun or flashy pick, but Fellinger could be a bottom-pair defender.
Finishing off their draft, Toronto selected Matthew Hlacar from the Kitchener Rangers. His calling card is his physicality. The 19-year-old wouldn’t have been drafted otherwise. He’s scored some greasy goals around the net and shows some decent enough passing, but he’s not an offensive player. If he can find a way into an NHL lineup, it’s going to be because of his physical play. There’s a lot to work on before getting there, though.
Strengths
Although there aren’t any high-end centers, the depth they have down the middle at forward is the area that stands out as the most well-stocked. Their top pick of the 2025 draft is a big, sturdy center who has plenty of room for growth and untapped potential. Holinka is a versatile center who might end up on the wing, but his profile could seamlessly fit down the middle if he can stay committed to sound two-way hockey. Hopkins has some bottom-six versatility and speed. Quillan has emerged quickly as a potential NHL option. There is also Cowan, who could play center, but he’s likely a winger at the next level. The Leafs don’t have a true top-six center option in the pipeline, but they have a few guys who could be useful bottom-six pieces.
Weaknesses
The Maple Leafs completely lack star power in their prospect pool aside from Cowan, who may ultimately be just a very good player and not a star. They have done a decent job of drafting, looking for physically gifted players with some upside as well as lower-floor bets on depth pieces, but they haven’t unearthed a star quite yet. Matthew Knies was a second-round pick in 2021, and he’s become a second-tier star, but the prospect pool doesn’t even look to have that level of player at the moment. Cowan is very good, and he might ultimately play a second-line role, but that’s kind of his ceiling. The Leafs could use a star prospect or two to help extend their window in the Matthews and Nylander eras.
Hidden Gem: Luke Haymes, LW/C
Having just turned 22 this summer, there is still plenty of runway for college free agent signing, Luke Haymes. He attended development camp with the Leafs last summer as an undrafted and unsigned player, and he left a mark on the organization because a year later, he was back in development camp, having played nine AHL games where he racked up six points. Haymes is a two-way forward who had a very solid three-year college career at Dartmouth. He’s a guy who finds success around the net and battling along the wall, working cycles and wearing his opponents down with a heavy possession game. He plays like a pro, which is why his jump into the AHL was seamless last year. He needs a year or two before a real NHL shot is realistic, but don’t be shocked to see the Leafs call him up late in the year to see what he looks like against NHL competition.
Next Man Up: Easton Cowan, LW/Henry Thrun, D
The answer Leafs fans probably want is Easton Cowan, and I think there is a legitimate chance that he plays NHL games this season. The Leafs will need an additional offensive spark, and he’s pushed for a roster spot in camp before. Now that the AHL is an option, that is likely the best place for him, but if he comes in and shows that he’s one of the best forwards in the organization, why not give him a shot?
The realistic answer is Thrun, who has 100 games under his belt already at the NHL level over a few seasons with San Jose, but those can largely be thrown out of the window as the Sharks were not an NHL-caliber club on most of those nights. Thrun is a solid defensive blueliner who has some really nice passing ability. He’s never going to be a stud, but he could be a more offensively gifted option on the bottom pair on nights you want to give someone a break or need a different look.
Prospect Depth Chart Notables
LW: Easton Cowan, Luke Haymes, Sam McCue, Alexander Plesovskikh
C: Tinus Luc Koblar, Miroslav Holinka, Tyler Hopkins, Jacob Quillan, Ryan Tverberg, Hudson Malinoski
RW: Harry Nansi, William Belle, Nicholas Moldenhauer, Borya Valis
LD: Henry Thrun, Noah Chadwick, Victor Johansson, Cade Webber
RD: Ben Danford, William Villeneuve, Ryan Fellinger, Topi Niemela
G: Arturs Akhtyamov, Dennis Hildeby, Vyacheslav Peksa, Tomofei Obvintsev
For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of the Hockey News print edition!
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