The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has drafted and developed a number of youngsters currently playing in the NHL (Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, Matthew Knies), but the club under former GM Kyle Dubas and current GM Brad Treliving had different ideas of what kind of prospects they wanted to populate the organization with. There has been a slow weeding out process of the smaller Dubas prospects in favor of predominantly larger forwards and defenseman that fit the traits that Treliving is looking for
As we’ve done on a yearly basis, we are ranking the club’s top prospects over the upcoming weeks based on their progress in either the NCAA, CHL, Europe, ECHL, or AHL, and their potential to make the Leafs roster and make a contribution in the future.
Players are eligible for the list if they have not played more than 40 NHL games and are 25 years old or younger:
Prospect List
#40 – Matthew Hlacar – F (Kitchener – OHL)
#39 – Rylan Fellinger – D (Flint – OHL)
#38 – Blake Smith – D (Flint – OHL, Toronto – AHL)
#37 – Braeden Kressler – C (Cincinnati – ECHL, Toronto – AHL)
#36 – Harry Nansi – C (Owen Sound – OHL)
Unlike some of their more recent drafts, the Leafs went heavy on CHL products in the 2025 NHL Draft. After second-rounder Tinus-Luc Koblar, four of their remaining five picks were out of the Ontario Hockey League. With the second of their two fifth-rounders, Toronto selected one of the youngest players in the draft class in Owen Sound center Harry Nansi.
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, but he “can access lanes that others can’t and push through checks. He is a non-stop worker who pursues opponents, pushes them off the puck, and holds it until he finds a play, always wanting to attract and beat pressure to create scoring opportunities for linemates.”.
When you have a few late round picks this is what you do with them. Take a flyer on a player with size who looks like he will grow into an NHL body. Looking for right shooters to stock a development system with a current shortage is prudent as well.
I love picks like this. It elevates the fun of being a fan watching how far some of these players can go in their hockey careers.