Welcome to Scott Wheeler’s 2026 rankings of every NHL organization’s prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the project and its criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 32 to No. 1. The series, which includes evaluations on nearly 500 prospects, runs from March 9 to April 8.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ pool is led by Easton Cowan, who is the most accomplished prospect to appear in the countdown so far. (A minority would maybe prefer 2025 Hobey Baker winner Ike Howard, but the consensus would favor Cowan.) Behind him, though, while they have several prospects who’ve either already played games or project to, none of their prospects ranked 2-12 here realistically project as more than fourth-line/third-pairing options even at the end of their development.
2025 prospect pool rank: No. 28 (change: -1)
Tier 1
1. Easton Cowan, LW/RW, 20, Maple Leafs/Marlies (No. 28, 2023)
Cowan is a strong skater who buzzes around the ice, works and plays hard and thrived on the penalty kill in the OHL (a role he may eventually play in the NHL). He emerged as an important player for a strong Knights team in his draft year (especially in the playoffs where London’s first line — Cowan, Philadelphia Flyers prospect Denver Barkey and Seattle Kraken prospect Ryan Winterton — was relentless) and took another giant step forward post-draft to win both the OHL’s most outstanding player award and OHL playoffs MVP, registering 130 points in 76 combined games in the regular season, playoffs and Memorial Cup. His play was so strong that it upgraded his projection from an effective third-line contributor to a potentially impactful top-nine player for me at the time.
Last season was also another strong one and saw him return from whiplash to continue his record-setting OHL points streak, lead the OHL playoffs in scoring for a second straight year and win Memorial Cup MVP. He had a difficult World Juniors, displaying some of the bad habits, poor play selection and hockey IQ questions that have followed him at times, but was one of the best players in junior hockey for a second consecutive season. This season, he has given a Leafs forward group in need of some jump exactly that, too, and he looks like he belongs in their top 12.
He plays a fast, determined game, hunting pucks, winning races and then making little skill plays when opportunities or openings in coverage present themselves. He takes or plays pucks into the middle, thrives in give-and-gos playing off his linemate, supports play defensively and can play in a haze/rush, but has also shown the ability to use and elevate his linemates. He does a good job holding pucks around sticks at speed. He’s a heart-and-soul guy who I’m confident will take his career as far as it can go. He can gain a step on defensemen, and while his effort can sometimes be ineffectively deployed (he has work to do on his routes and decisions on and off the puck), he thrives on instinct more often than it burns him. His overreliance on those instincts does need some coaching at times, but you can live with it.
He plays with a bit of a hunch in his stride, which affects his game both positively and negatively as well. On one hand, he’s always engaged and on his toes because he never straightens up his stance and comes to a standstill, and he’s agile on his first cut/change of direction (less so on his second because of the commitment required). On the other hand, when he really commits to a position into contact or a reach-in, it can put him off-balance.
He has learned how to make his game work on a shift-to-shift basis, though, and now makes better choices on his touches than he used to. It doesn’t hurt that he has experience playing all three forward positions, either, and is comfortable on his off-wing.
Tier 2
2. Ben Danford, RHD, 20, Brantford (No. 31, 2024)
Danford doesn’t have the statistical profile you’d look for out of a first-rounder, though it has improved over the last three seasons. He has visibly tried to do more and more at the OHL level with possession, and some scouts have been hesitant about his puck play (bobbling pucks, limited creativity/scoring). But he has the respect of a lot of people around the OHL, and it was no surprise when the Oshawa Generals named him captain last season (they had considered naming him captain in his draft year), when the Bulldogs targeted him in trade this year, or when Team Canada named him to the World Junior roster.
Danford gets high marks as a player who takes care of his own end first, but is developing his offensive instincts and starting to take more chances off the line and involve himself in more plays around the offensive and neutral zones. He also shows some poise under pressure to hold pucks with players on his back and find ways to spin off, so he’s not just a headman/first-pass type (though he had a tougher time doing that at the World Junior level than he has in the OHL). His skating is average or maybe slightly above; I wouldn’t call it a strength, but it’s decent. He’s a strong athlete who performs well in physical testing and has very transferable/executable on-ice strength in battles and physical engagements.
More importantly, the details are already there: stick placement, gap control, reads, positioning, surfing, etc. I’ve also seen him show more comfort under pressure to beat the first layer and make better choices atop the blue line to work off his teammates and use space to his advantage, though again at higher levels, he tends to simplify, and he’s probably just a shots-through guy in the NHL. He has a strong foundation and has made important progress in key areas. There are many who believe he’s going to make a solid third-pairing NHL defenseman someday. He’s a high-floor, low-ceiling prospect whose consistency of habits and detail will continue to endear him to coaches.
3. Dennis Hildeby, G, 24, Maple Leafs/Marlies (No. 122, 2022)
Drafted by the Leafs as a double-overager and quickly signed, Hildeby is one of the biggest (6-foot-7), heaviest (231 pounds) goalies in the sport. And though his NHL numbers last year as a rookie (.878 in his first six starts) did make some wonder, combined with ceding the Marlies crease at times to Matt Murray and Artur Akhtyamov, if he could be more than a No. 3/if he could become a full-time NHL goalie. That book is still out after more starts this year, but he has performed better in his NHL opportunities this season, a promising signal that his good results at lower levels do have some transferability. His save percentage has hovered around .910 in the AHL (where he outplayed the veteran Martin Jones) and hovered around .920 in the SHL (where he outplayed veteran Matt Tomkins, now with the Oilers organization) before that.
He can look a little sluggish when plays break down, and he has to scramble and move a lot, but he makes up for that with his strong tracking, positioning, angles, reads and rebound control. He also has good hands for a bigger goalie (sometimes larger goalies lack some coordination), which extends his range in the net even further. While he’s not the perfect goalie, he represents good organizational depth, and there are some who believe he’s going to stick as a No. 2 in the NHL at some point, even if that’s not in Toronto in the short term with their tandem.
4. Tinus Luc Koblar, RW/LW, 18, Leksands (No. 64, 2025)
I didn’t view Koblar as a second-round prospect (even a late one), but he does have a checking makeup/path and has come on strong over the last couple of months. He’s a big, strong, sturdy center who can skate and has played regularly in the SHL as an 18-year-old this season, scoring a handful of goals (hard to do at that age) and playing up and down the lineup (also hard to do at that age). But he also scored eight goals at Sweden’s J20 level last year, and I’m not sure he’ll ever have enough offense to climb out of the AHL. I ultimately wonder if he just becomes a very effective AHL bottom-sixer more than an NHL fourth-liner. He can skate and check. He’s competitive. He has the frame. He plays in the dirty areas and off his linemates well. I just don’t see the puck skill. He’s a summer birthday who already has some pro attributes, though, so I’m sure they’re counting on a steep progression moving forward, some of which we have seen this year.
Tier 3
5. Artur Akhtyamov, G, 24, Marlies (No. 106, 2020)
I liked Akhtyamov in his draft year and wasn’t surprised when the Leafs used their then-annual goalie pick on him, even though NHL Central Scouting didn’t rank him. His track record in the MHL, VHL and eventually KHL aligns with the Russian goalies that tend to progress up the ranks as well. He then got off to an excellent start to his career in North America in the AHL last year, before regressing a little since (he has sat around .900 with the Marlies on the whole). He’s a lean 6-2 (up an inch from his KHL listing) and 176 pounds, but he’s quick in his net, his positioning is sound and aggressive, and he rarely gets beat high glove or high blocker despite that small-ish frame because he has good hands and he stays on his feet long enough to make shoulder saves up high. He’s a good goalie, but as he ages and doesn’t take that final AHL-to-NHL step, questions start to pop up as to whether he’s more than a No. 4. Save percentages tend to skew toward the higher end in Russia in general, too, so his statistical step back in the AHL could align with that. He’s not young anymore, either. I’m a believer in him becoming a solid No. 3 still, though.
6. Harry Nansi, C, 18, Owen Sound (No. 153, 2025)
That Nansi ranks fourth among skaters here speaks to two opposing truths:
1. The Leafs’ pool isn’t in a great spot right now. This is a player who’d rank at the back of a top 15 of the league’s stronger pool rankings.
2. He has been a bright spot for their system this year, though he has come back down to earth over the last couple of months after a hotter start.
Nansi’s Sept. 10 birthday meant he was one of the youngest players in the 2025 class when the Leafs drafted him in the fifth round, and he has been one of Owen Sound’s leading scorers all year, hovering around a point per game — respectable for a 6-3, still-developing forward that age. His skating is a work-in-progress, but it has taken noticeable steps, and he looks stronger on his feet this year. He’s still quite raw physically as well, with obvious room to continue to develop in the gym (where I know he was late to start really training relative to his peers). There’s a lot to work with and more checkpoints for him to conceivably hit, so it doesn’t feel like this first big step this season is his last. There’s always risk that all of the areas he needs to get better in don’t come, too, but his runway and areas of improvement give him a chance.
I’d also like to see him score more, because he does have a nice little pre-shot curl-and-release action. But I underrated his vision last year. He doesn’t always make the right reads off the puck, but on it, he does a sneaky good job finding his teammates on the back side of coverage and drawing attention.
Signs like this, where he makes a great no-look play east-west and then finds distracted ice in the slot, are really positive.
Similar idea here. You like the cut to the middle to score. But it’s the little slip pass and then the touch he gets on a puck at the net after it that makes for a really positive sequence for a young player.
7. Miroslav Holinka, C, 20, Edmonton (No. 151, 2024)
I thought Holinka was the most interesting of the Leafs’ three fifth-round picks in 2024. He clearly looked to be above his peers at Czechia’s junior level and showed some pro tools. He was off to a strong start in the WHL before getting injured on an awkward hit, too, but made it back and had a strong World Juniors to help the Czechs to a bronze medal. His numbers at year’s end (about a point per game with the Oil Kings) didn’t pop, but his underlyings were quite strong, and he has predictably built on it this season as one of the league’s leading scorers.
He has good size and above-average tools in most areas. He understands where to be on the ice both offensively and defensively, and does a good job supporting the puck and play. He’s not a super competitive or scrappy player, but he has a good stick and habits and can be trusted in all areas of the game. And he doesn’t have dynamic skill or skating, but he’s an intelligent offensive player. I don’t know that he’ll be a long-term NHLer (or what role he’d play if he gets there), but I do see a path where he plays games at some point. His entry-level contract was earned.
8. Noah Chadwick, LHD, 20, Marlies (No. 185, 2023)
Chadwick was a difficult player to project in his draft year because while he had some clear tools (not many 6-4, 200-pound teenagers with real smarts), his low-end statistical profile didn’t line up with what looked like a thinking man’s player. Then, post-draft, he took the step forward the Leafs likely hoped/expected he would, emerging as Lethbridge’s No. 1 D, playing close to a point per game as an 18-year-old and winning CHL Scholastic Player of the Year. As a rookie in the AHL this year, he has also played 18-20 minutes per game and penalty killed, both to respectable results.
He reads the game quite well, understands the way plays develop and can play within structure without any real headaches. His skating is a concern — his footwork and backward mobility/pivots can let him down and have been noticeable hindrances at higher paces — but his athletic tools are slowly catching up. I still think he’s more likely a No. 7-8 type than an everyday third-pairing defenseman when it’s all said and done, but there is a path for him to climb through the AHL. He’s a good prospect for a sixth-round pick already.
9. Victor Johansson, LHD, 19, Leksands/Oskarshamn (No. 120, 2024)
The youngest in a line of drafted Johansson brothers after Simon (a 2018 Wild fifth-rounder now playing in Liiga) and Anton (a 2022 Red Wings fourth-rounder now playing in the SHL). Victor, who is also a cousin of NHLer Alexander Wennberg, is a slight but competitive 6-1 defender whom I didn’t spend much time on in his draft year two years ago until I was told late in the season to give him a watch. He then had a positive post-draft season for a fourth-rounder, making his SHL debut and racking up points (and penalty minutes) at the J20 level, logging 21-plus minutes per game. This season, he has played to promising results on loan in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan as well. He also won gold at the World Juniors with Sweden, primarily as their No. 7 D.
He’s a heady, physical two-way type who has typically played to strong underlying results and has decent athletic tools to continue to build on. He competes and is hard to play against. There are times when he needs to be more disciplined with and without the puck, but he plays on instinct. He’s still early in his development, but he has shown comfort holding and moving pucks, passing and advancing play, and steering opposing carriers into tough spots off the rush. Patience will be important as he still has a long way to go, but he has some tools and is worth following.
10. Luke Haymes, C, 22, Marlies (undrafted)
Haymes became a very respectable college player at Dartmouth, playing his way onto the ECAC’s first All-Star team as a sophomore and getting signed as a junior. He impressed last spring in his brief jump to the AHL as well and built on that with a strong first NHL camp. His numbers in the AHL haven’t quite come to the same degree this season, but he’s playing a regular shift at five-on-five and on both special teams for the Marlies.
Haymes is a two-way center who plays a diligent, honest, consistent game. He makes good decisions around the ice, knows how to support play on both sides of the puck, has a pro build and average pro tools, and fits the play-the-right-way focus of the current Leafs brass and coaching staff. I expect him to play NHL games at some point, though I don’t view him as a future everyday NHL player at this stage (he looks more like a Marlies call-up option to me). He’s a solid, trustworthy player.
11. Tyler Hopkins, C, 19, Guelph (No. 86, 2025)
Hopkins is a versatile, well-rounded center who was well-liked by NHL scouts as a third-round pick last year for his attention to detail and structure, his great habits, his work ethic and his competitiveness. He wins battles through inside body positioning, plays the right way, is extremely responsible in all areas of the ice, can skate pucks out and make smart plays and knows where and how to support the play defensively. Everyone — scouts, Frontenacs staff, himself — has wanted to see him make more plays and produce more, though, and he still hasn’t quite taken that step offensively this season. He can be relied upon to play with anybody and projects as a potential fourth-liner if he can develop his puck play and continue to get stronger. (He got pushed around at 16 and has taken steps since, but still has room to fill out so he can get the most out of his two-way commitment.) He’s never going to be much of an offensive threat, in all likelihood, but he’s a good player who has a chance because of his pro style and competitive commitment.
After getting traded from Kingston to Guelph, he’ll be an important part of next year’s Memorial Cup hosts.
12. Borya Valis, RW, 21, Marlies (undrafted)
Valis had scouts making regular trips to Prince George to see him play after taking real strides in his 80-point 20-year-old season last year. There was interest from multiple clubs before he signed a three-year ELC with the Leafs. He was a very important player for the Cougars and featured prominently on both their power play and penalty kill. He’s a big, strong, 6-2, 200-or-so-pound winger who managed to generate offense often playing away from Cougars draft picks Koehn Ziemmer, Terik Parascak and Riley Heidt. I’ve liked him as a rookie with the Marlies this year, too, even though he’s playing a depth role (12-13 minutes per game). He plays the game to drive the net, he has some secondary skill, he has learned to work and play with more consistency in all areas and he’s a decent skater for his size. The Leafs will be looking to develop him into a potential call-up option down the line. He might just be an AHLer, though, too.
