For the Toronto Maple Leafs, the art of taking talented youngsters and developing them into effective contributors in the NHL has never been easy, but their current crop of players does present an intriguing mix of the present and the future. While the present roster of the Toronto Maple Leafs consists of talented regulars such as Auston Matthews and William Nylander, the future of the team will rely on the growth of a few special prospects in their organization, including Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, Artur Akhtyamov, Miroslav Holinka, and Tyler Hopkins.
Let’s take a look at how these top prospects are doing so far this season.
Easton Cowan
Leading the pack is Easton Cowan, Toronto’s most exciting young forward. The 28th overall pick in 2023, Cowan was a junior hockey superstar before turning pro, and his trajectory this season has validated the organization’s faith. Cowan has earned a spot with the Maple Leafs during the 2025–26 season and has become more than just a prospect; he’s now a key young contributor at the NHL level. Of late, Cowan has been finding the scoresheet regularly, including a pivotal overtime goal against the Philadelphia Flyers that highlighted his growth and confidence on hockey’s biggest stage.
The impact that Cowan has not just been one moment but a stretch of consistent play. He has been regularly contributing on the scoring side, putting away timely goals, putting up points, while also being physical enough to participate in the play despite his size. It’s this well-rounded set of qualities that has enabled him to effortlessly move between the bottom half and top half of the lineup, even earning top-line minutes at some points. There’s no doubt he’s an NHL player at this point. It’s the speed with which he’s adapted that is perhaps the most fascinating thing about Cowan, who came to the Leafs as an extraordinarily decorated junior, having won Memorial Cup MVP.
Ben Danford
After Cowan, Ben Danford remains one of the most interesting prospects on the Toronto blueline. Selected 31st overall in the 2024 draft, the 19-year-old blueliner was touted for his strength and defensive acumen as well as his leadership on the blueline in the Ontario Hockey League.
The strengths that Danford brings to the table begin with his reliability. He’s a sound defender with positionally responsible skills, and even at the junior level, his physical presence sets him apart. Even if he isn’t considered a threat offensively, his leadership qualities have ensured that he’s one of the highly respected junior defencemen in the Leafs’ organization. His talent was recognized, earning him a spot on the Canadian World Junior team, which shows he’s a highly valued player in his age group.
Moving forward, based on his development timeline for his expected entry into the NHL in the second half of the decade, a well-versed, solid defenceman like Danford is something every contender needs.
Artur Akhtyamov
In goal, there is unique potential with Artur Akhtyamov, who was selected in the fourth round in the 2020 draft. Since then, he has been working his way up through the Toronto Maple Leafs’ farm system. Now in his current season with the Toronto Marlies within the AHL, he is seeing increased play time between the pipes. Although his numbers are not impressive in terms of goals against average and his percentage in the minors, he has had instances of excellent play, including seeing an opportunity in the NHL earlier this year.
Akhtyamov’s career path illuminates the unpredictable growth trajectory of goalies, and although the emphasis remains on consistency, there are certainly tools to refine him into a possible organizational depth piece in the net that could be developed down the line to become an adequate NHL backup. To what degree Akhtyamov develops into an adequate AHL starter or even an adequate NHL backup in the long run will be determined by how his skill set matures in those situations.
Miroslav Holinka
Rising in the ranks for the Leafs’ forward depth comes Miroslav Holinka, an offensively minded centre from Czechia who was picked in round five of the 2024 NHL Draft. In July of 2025, Holinka signed an entry-level deal for three years. Holinka has been back with the Western Hockey League for the 2025-26 season and has been nearly unstoppable there. Through their most recent series of contests, Holinka has been one of the leading scorers in the WHL and has provided substantial offence for the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Holinka’s toolset is comprised of great hockey sense, puck skills, and scoring instincts, which makes Holinka a fascinating player to watch at the junior level. Even if he is not quite NHL material just yet, his development on offence is showing Holinka may become a two-way forward, someone who is able to make contributions on both sides of the puck. As he approaches eligibility to take part at the AHL level, Holinka’s development is definitely one of the more interesting stories among Leaf prospects.
Tyler Hopkins
Finally, there is Tyler Hopkins, who embodies the true project prospect, someone with skills to translate, but a prospect who needs time to reach his true potential. Hopkins, who was drafted 86th overall in 2025, has some promise playing with the Kingston Frontenacs and Guelph Storm of the OHL, as he is a skilled two-way center.
His development this season has been consistent, with an ability to chip in with some offence while taking care of things in his end. His hockey sense is such that he could potentially be an ideal third-line center in the NHL, as long as he works on his ability to be effective against better competition.
