The question that has been looming since the end of the regular season has been whether the Toronto Maple Leafs, under the management of new GM John Chayka and Mats Sundin, and team captain Auston Matthews, were aligned on the franchise’s course going forward. It has been debated and rumored that Matthews might want to move on from the Leafs after the club declined 30 points last season, but according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the two sides met over Zoom over the weekend. Friedman indicated that the meeting was positive, and that currently the two sides are in a good place, and that Matthews reiterated that he want to win in Toronto.
The two sides are expected to meet in the near future, but logistically, that has not been a priority, with Chayka/Sundin getting up to speed with the organization, doing a coaching search, getting ready for the NHL Combine and NHL Draft in Buffalo next month.
Here is how the bottom half of the players selected in the 2025 are doing so far this season:
Harry Nansi – C (153rd overall) – Owen Sound (OHL)
A native of Brossard, Quebec, the 6’3”, 185 lb. forward played 41 games for the Attack as a 16-year-old, and in his sophomore season scored 23 points (7 goals, 16 assists) in 67 games. Elite Prospects described Nansi as a slick playmaker who pushes the pace of play and blends physicality with high-end handling flashes and an extremely raw, but exciting project. Defensive issues and his skating appear to be the main issues with Nansi. The lanky right-shot center doubled his point totals in his 18-year-old season, with 56 points (13 goals, 43 assists) in 67 games this season.
Rylan Fellinger – D (185th overall) – Flint (OHL)
The right-handed blueliner came out of the Soo Jr. Greyhounds program and had two unspectacular offensive seasons with the Firebirds (3 goals, 8 assists in 122 games) before being drafted in the sixth round. Fellinger is considered a stay-at-home defenseman who plays with good positioning and wins puck battles. Those are traits that the Leafs have on the NHL roster in Chris Tanev and in the pipeline with 2024 first round Ben Danford, and appreciate as a necessity on the blueline. In 65 games, the 6’4”, 200 lb. defenseman had 16 points (3 goals, 13 assists) and an impressive +25.
Matthew Hlacar – F (217th overall) – Kitchener (OHL)
The seventh round of an NHL draft is when a particular scout gets to take a flyer on a player who may intrigue them. With their final pick at the 2025 NHL Draft, the Leafs selected Hlacar, a 6’3”, 205 lb. forward drafted as an overager after coming out of the Greater Ontario Hockey League in 2024 and playing 43 OHL games last season.
The 19-year-old scored seven goals last season and dropped the gloves eight times. This season, Hlacar has 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists) in 51 games, and was suspended three times by the Ontario Hockey League for illegal hits, but is playing in the Memorial Cup with Kitchener.
