Welcome back.

It’s time for Daily Faceoff’s third annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Players over 23 years old are not included. Goaltenders are a bit more subjective, but they need to be 25 or under, have played under 15 games in the past season or have not spent significant time in the NHL as a whole over a three-year period.

Today, we’re breaking down the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Toronto’s pipeline looks a lot different from what it was a year ago.

Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin were shipped out at the NHL Trade Deadline, and Topi Niemelä left Toronto to continue his career in Sweden. In their place, a host of other prospects saw some serious improvement in their game – and the team got bulkier at the 2025 NHL Draft.

It’s still not a strong pipeline, but it’s legitimately deeper. The team has options at every position, and while most aren’t going to be impact players, they need as much depth as they can get. Toronto’s focus is on winning right now, but having some legit help either down the road at Coca-Cola Coliseum or marinating in Europe could go a long way.

Our friends at The Leafs Nation have been looking at the top prospects throughout the month, so go make sure to check them out for more detailed breakdowns.

Biggest Strength

Toronto has drafted BIG in the past few years and it might pay off. Ben Danford, for example, loves to get in the way of shots and isn’t afraid of any physical bout. Noah Chadwick and Cade Webber mean business on the back end, too. Recent draft picks Tinus-Luc Koblar, Harry Nansi, Sam McCue and William Belle all love to throw the body and could be potential fourth-line options. Even Dennis Hildeby – a 6-foot-7 goaltender – towers over the competition. Toronto has wanted to get stronger in recent years. Mission accomplished.

Biggest Weakness

Outside of Cowan, who has top-six potential, the Leafs don’t have a ton of high-end forward depth to work with. They’ve drafted players who can handle a certain style, mostly in a bottom-six role. But beyond that, the Leafs don’t have a ton of offensive weapons. That’s not necessarily an issue, and it’s the norm for teams expecting to go deep in the playoffs. But that does limit their trade options, though.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Brad Treliving
Dir. of Amateur Scouting: Mark Leach
Dir. of Player Development: Danielle Goyette
AHL Affiliate: Toronto Marlies
ECHL Affiliate: Cincinnati Cyclones

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

*Ben Danford (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)*

1. Easton Cowan, C, 20 (Toronto Marlies, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 28th overall, first round in 2023

Cowan has proven himself to be a big-game performer quite often in his young career. Sure, his World Junior showing was a bit ugly. But with 96 points in 60 OHL playoff games over the past four years – in which he led the playoffs in scoring in consecutive years – it’s clear he can rise to the occasion when needed. The skilled, hard-working forward is a great passer, loves to rush the puck up the ice and has some good speed, too. He’s set to play his first year of pro hockey, and while I think he could play in the NHL this year, some time with the Marlies wouldn’t hurt.

2. Ben Danford, RHD, 19 (Oshawa Generals, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 31st overall, first round in 2024

Danford has plenty of big-game experience already, having played in two straight OHL championship series. Neither proved fruitful, but he still looked good regardless. Danford is a guy his teammates like to rely on because he’s rarely caught making a mistake distributing the puck. I saw Danford play both sides on the blueline last year, but I think he’s got something going on the left side – it fits his shot better. Danford said he hopes to be like Chris Tanev, which I think is a solid comparison. He probably tops out as a No. 4 defenseman in Toronto, but I think he’ll be quite reliable.

3. Dennis Hildeby, G, 23 (Toronto Marlies, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 122nd overall, fourth round in 2022

*Dennis Hildeby (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images)*

Hildeby was called up early on in 2024-25 to fill in for Anthony Stolarz, but the results were… ugly, to say the least. He went 3-3-0 with a .878 save percentage, and his advanced numbers weren’t great, either. He was much better in the AHL, but still struggled a bit more than the Maple Leafs organization would have probably liked to see. I still think there’s a chance for him to be an NHL backup, but if the Leafs end up extending Stolarz, it might leave Hildeby nowhere to go. I like his mobility and his size, but I want to see him solidify himself as the best goaltending prospect in the system.

4. Artur Akhtyamov, G, 23 (Toronto Marlies, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 106th overall, fourth round in 2020

Akhtyamov lit the AHL on fire early on, going 4-0 to start the season while Dennis Hildeby was up with the big club. In fact, Akhtyamov didn’t lose a game in regulation until Dec. 15. But his play started to quiet down after that, and he was often outplayed by Hildeby and NHL veteran Matt Murray. Akhtyamov should have less obstacles in his way in his second year in North America, but he still needs to outplay Hildeby to prove himself as a long-term option for Toronto. There’s some legit skill here, but we need to see consistency.

5. Noah Chadwick, LHD, 20 (Toronto Marlies, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 185th overall, sixth round in 2023

Chadwick went from a flier of a pick at No. 185 overall in 2023 to a legit NHL prospect. The 6-foot-4 defender is coming off two excellent seasons with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, including a 53-point campaign as captain this past year. Now 20, Chadwick is ready to take his talents to Coca-Cola Coliseum, where I could see him filling a hole left behind by Topi Niemelä. At first, it felt like he was only notable because of his size. Now, Chadwick is a much more rounded threat, and I think we could see him play NHL games within the next two years.

6. Tyler Hopkins, C, 18 (Kingston Frontenacs, OHL)

Acquired: Drafted 86th overall, third round in 2025

Tyler Hopkins (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)

This felt like a great pick for Toronto. The Leafs traded away Minten, so Hopkins could be a decent – albeit lesser – replacement. In Kingston, he’s a smart, two-way center whom you can rely on in the D-zone. Hopkins will only really be a support player in the NHL but his two-way game makes him very useful. I want to see him evolve more as a dynamic playmaker, but I like where his game is right now. It’ll be a few years before I think he’s close to NHL-ready, but I could see him topping out as a third-line center.

7. Miroslav Holinka, C, 19 (Toronto Marlies, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 151st overall, fifth round in 2024

Holinka started the season as a big-time producer with the Edmonton Oil Kings and finished with just under a point per game in his first year in North America. The Czech forward is a reliable two-way threat who does a lot in his own zone. Scouts like how he supports his defenders and that he’s willing to block shots and get in the way of scoring chances. Holinka’s first step looks better than it did before the draft — he’s still not quick, but he’s quicker. His game still needs a bit more urgency to be more effective, though. It’s like Holinka needs to feel threatened that he’ll lose ice time if he doesn’t make the right move quicker. I’m interested to see what type of role they give him with the Marlies.

8. Tinus-Luc Koblar, C, 18 (Leksands, Sweden U-20)

Acquired: Drafted 64th overall, second round in 2025

As a 6-foot-3 center, there’s a lot to like about his physical attributes. He’s not a crushing presence, but he’s competitive and strong enough to win out most individual battles. Mix in good skating and good hockey IQ and I think there’s definitely some late-bloomer potential if he can unlock another level in his offensive game. I liked Hopkins a lot more heading into the draft, but it’ll be interesting to see if TLK ends up becoming a reliable depth forward.

9. Victor Johansson, LHD, 19 (Leksands, Sweden U-20)

Acquired: Drafted 64th overall, third round in 2020

*Victor Johansson (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)*

Johansson has grown quite a bit the past few years – and now he’s a legit prospect. The 6-foot-1 defender is coming off an excellent showing at the World Junior Summer Showcase, where he was Sweden’s best defender. Seriously, watching him two years ago compared to what we see now – it’s like he’s a totally different player. Johansson was solid in his own zone before, but never really took risks with the puck. He’s doing that a lot more now and getting power-play time, allowing himself to be freer and open with the puck on his stick. He was productive in the Swedish U-20 league this year and I’m excited to see what he does in his third year with Leksands’ U-20 squad.

10. Topi Niemelä, RHD, 23 (Malmö Redhawks, SHL)

Acquired: Drafted 64th overall, third round in 2020

Once viewed as one of Toronto’s top prospects, Niemelä’s development stagnated after his first year with the Marlies. Everything about his 2024-25 season was underwhelming, and with no path back to the NHL, he elected to head back to Europe to play key minutes with the Malmö Redhawks. If all goes well, this could be similar to the Victor Soderstrom situation for the Boston Bruins. Soderstrom was once a highly touted prospect, but he just couldn’t make it work with the Arizona Coyotes. He signed in Sweden, played very well and now has an opportunity to make the Bruins out of training camp. The Leafs still hold Niemla’s rights, and if they feel he can be a consistent producer and limit his mistakes, they might give him another chance in a year or two.

The rest: Ryan Tverberg, RW (23), Jacob Quillan, C (23), Luke Haymes, C (22), Borya Valis, RW (21), Braeden Kressler, C (22), William Belle, RW (18), Harry Nansi, C (17), Matthew Hlacar, LW (19), Sam McCue, LW (19), Alexander Plesovskikh, LW (19), Hudson Malinoski, C (21), Nicholas Moldenhauer, RW (21), Joe Miller, C (22), Wyatt Schingoethe, C (23), Nathan Mayes, LHD (19), Matt Lahey, LHD (19), Rylan Fellinger, RHD (18), William Villeneuve, RHD (23), Blake Smith, LHD (20), Slava Peksa, G (22), Timofei Obvintsev, G (20)

SPONSORED BY bet365