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 bottom half of the players selected in the 2026 Draft are doing so far this season:
Juuso Ainasto – G (85th overall) – Jokerit (Finland – U20)
The Leafs depleted their organizational goaltending depth this offseason, trading Joseph Woll to Philadelphia, Dennis Hildeby to Tampa Bay, and seeing Vyacheslav Peksa return to Russia. The club did add Samuel Hlavaj to partner with Calder Cup champion Artur Akhtyamov with the AHL Marlies, but with only 21-year-old Timofei Obvintsev in the long-range pipeline, GM John Chayka used a pair of his 10 draft picks on netminders: Latvian Patriks Plumins in the fourth round and Finnish netminder Juuso Ainasto in the third round.
The 18-year-old emerged from relative obscurity in the second half of their draft year. After putting up rather pedestrian numbers in the junior levels for Jokerit in 2024-25 (2.90 GAA, .906 save %), Ainasto showed remarkable progress last season (1.74 GAA, .938 save %, three shutouts, 8-3-0 record in the regular season, 1.85 GAA, .925 save %, 9-3-0 in the playoffs) at the under-18 level, earning a promotion to the under-20 level.
Early this season, in spite of a 3-7-0 record for Jokerit U-20, his numbers are much better this season: 2.52 GAA and a .905 save % than his 14-game stint last season. Depending on his progress, Ainasto could be on the radar for Finland for the upcoming World Junior in Alberta, but with a March 2008 birthdate, the 2028 World Junior in December 2027, when he is 19, is more likely.
Patriks Plumins – G (114th overall) – Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
Plumins emerged in the Latvian league, playing 16 games for Zemgale, posting a 1.50 GAA, .927 save %, and three shutouts, but gained significant attention with a sparkling performance for his country at the IIHF Under-18s, with a .947 save % in five games. Elite Prospects describes him as a “very strong positional goaltender, who is physically built for professional hockey, with a mature 6-foot-3, 203-pound frame. He challenges shooters well, framing his hands and legs effectively as he cuts down the angle and re-adjusts his depth accordingly to keep the net covered as the play crashes in.”
The 18-year-old opted to shift to North America and is part of a three-goalie trio with the Chicoutimi Saugeneens of the QMJHL, where he is 1-2-0, with a 4.05 GAA and .856 save %. It is expected that Plumins will be in the mix for the starting job for Latvia for the upcoming 2027 World Junior Championships in Alberta this December.
Cooper Williams – C (158th overall) – Saskatoon (WHL)
After the Leafs selected winger Zach Olsen in the third round, Toronto selected his WHL teammate, Cooper Williams. The 18-year-old center played his youth hockey in his hometown of Calgary. He debuted in the WHL in 2024 and, in his rookie season with the Blades, he finished second in the league in rookie scoring with 57 points (21 goals, 36 assists) in 68 games. Last season, he had the same point total but increased his goal total to 23. Williams returned for his third season with the Saskatoon Blades, where he has 17 points (7 goals, 10 assists) in 14 games. He is committed to the University of North Dakota, where he will join Leafs third-rounder Ethan MacKenzie.
Yaroslav Fedoseyev – D (161st overall) – Saskatoon (WHL)
Toronto selected four blueliners in 2026, the last being Russian product Yaroslav Fedoseyev with their middle pick in the sixth round. The 18-year-old is from Chelyabinsk and has played in the youth levels of the KHL Traktor system since 2022. Last season, the 6’1″, 187 lb. defenseman played in three levels: the junior MHL (24 games – 2 goals, 11 assists), the second-level pro VHL (25 games – 1 goal, 5 assists), and the KHL for nine games (1 goal, 0 assists).
The righty-shooter is an agile skater, a smart puck mover who makes a good first pass and is an aggressive defender, and thus far this season, he has primarily played in the KHL, with two points (1 goal, 1 assist) in 16 games.
Brody Pepoy – F (169th overall) – Saginaw (OHL)
The 18-year-old Clarkston, MI native played his youth hockey in his home state and shifted to the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 16U AAA squad, where he scored 52 points (22 goals, 30 assists) in 55 games. In his first OHL season, Pepoy had 29 points (16 goals, 13 assists) in 67 games. This season, the winger is averaging nearly a point per game (8 goals, 7 assists) in 16 games with the Spirit. Elite Prospects indicates that Pepoy is committed to Lindenwood University (NCAA) next season.
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