Throughout the season, we will check in on the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects to see how they are progressing. The 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo featured the Leafs having the top pick in the draft after winning the lottery, and with the top pick, they selected Gavin McKenna. Toronto had nine more selections in the draft, most of which were well-regarded by NHL draft prognosticators.
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Here is how the top half of the players selected in the 2026 Draft are doing so far this season:
Alexander Bilecki – D (60th overall) – Kitchener (OHL)
The 18-year-old completed his second OHL season with the Kitchener Rangers, posting 29 points (9 goals, 20 assists) in 66 games. Bilecki played mostly a depth role with older defensemen ahead of him on the Rangers, but compiled 11 points in 18 playoff games on Kitchener’s way to the Memorial Cup. Known as an excellent skater with high-end skill, the 6’1″, 180 lb. blueliner is benefiting from Nashville first-rounder Cameron Reid shifting from the OHL to the University of Michigan, and thus far has thrived in a more primary role, averaging a point per game (2 goals, 13 assists) in 15 games (tied for fifth in the OHL in defensive scoring.
Elite Prospects says Bilecki “attacks defenses, beating the first forechecker with a fake and an explosive change of direction, before piercing right through neutral zone coverages. He creates high-danger scoring chances regularly off the rush….with his explosive skating, a large playmaking arsenal, and deceptive acts, he pushes the play forward, orchestrating the power play while also helping Kitchener’s ever-dangerous formation at 5-on-5.”
Ethan MacKenzie – D (69th overall) – North Dakota (NCAA)
Toronto dominated the third round of the draft in Buffalo with four picks, the first of which was defenseman Ethan MacKenzie. The 20-year-old blueliner is a late bloomer who went unselected through his first draft-eligible season in 2025. A teammate of current Toronto Marlies forward Miroslav Holinka, MacKenzie had only 18 points in his first two WHL seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings and showed some growth in 2024-25, increasing his offensive output to 32 points (5 goals, 27 assists). After not being selected, the blueliner took a big step forward as an overager, scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace (22 goals, 36 assists) in 59 WHL games, and caught the attention of Team Canada for the 2026 World Juniors, where he posted five points (1 goal, 4 assists) in seven games.
After four years in the WHL, MacKenzie shifted to the NCAA to play for the University of North Dakota, and has one assist in seven games.
Zach Olsen – RW (73rd overall) – Colorado College (NCAA)
The 18-year-old played his youth hockey in the Calgary area and debuted in the WHL at 16. In his first full season with the Saskatoon Blades, Olsen scored 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 60 games. Last season, he improved to 34 points (18 goals, 16 assists) in 57 games, and had a pair of goals in five games for Team Canada at the Under-18s. As with many of the Leafs selections, the winger’s main attribute is his skating ability. The Leafs reportedly indicated to the Blades that he would be returning to the WHL club for another season, but changes in Toronto’s player development staff resulted in a change in destination for Olsen, from the WHL to Colorado College.
As a freshman, Olsen has four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in eight games.
Mans Gudmundsson – D (76th overall) – Farjestad (SHL)
The 18-year-old righty posted 25 points (1 goal, 24 assists) in 35 games for the Under-20 junior level of Farjestad BK last season, and played one game for the parent SHL club last season, as well as registering four assists in seven games for Sweden at the IIHF World Junior Under-18s. The 6’3″, 185 lb. blueliner, according to Elite Prospects, “thrives when he gets to be aggressive and physical, always looking to pinch up to keep plays alive and make stops early.
While grading as more of an average skater due to some mechanical limitations and lack of higher-end edges, he consistently displayed the ability to surf against puck-rushers and exhibited projectable defensive mobility overall. The more the season progressed, the more he leaned into these qualities, with some of his stoutest performances coming at the U18s.”
Gudmundsson was expected to play once again for the under-20 squad, but after starting the season with 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in 13 games, he was promoted to the SHL squad, where he is pointless in a dozen games.
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