The Toronto Maple Leafs had one of their busier drafts, selecting six players to join the organization in 2025. Among those six, the Leafs director of amateur scouting, Mark Leach, selected a single European player. With their 64th overall pick in the second round, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Norwegian Tinus Luc Koblar from the Swedish U20 league. So let’s take a deep dive and do a prospect breakdown of Tinus Luc Koblar.
Who is Tinus Luc Koblar?
| Position | Handedness | Height | Weight |
| Center | Left | 6’03 | 198 |
The 2007-born forward prospect hails from Norway and is one of the few Norwegians with realistic NHL potential. The Leafs selection makes Luc Koblar only the 29th Norwegian drafted into the NHL.
The 6’03 centerman grew up playing in the Norwegian Storhamar youth system before moving to Sweden in 2023 to join the Leksands IF J18 teams for the 2023–24 campaign. From there, he worked his way up to Leksands IF’s J20 team in his draft year and then to the Swedish Hockey League for the current season.
Luc Koblar has also had the opportunity to suit up for the Norwegian national team at the U16, U18, and U20 levels and has been representing his country at various international tournaments since 2022.
In his draft year, the only scouting source that had the Norwegian ranked as a possible draftee was NHL Central Scouting, which had him at #56. He was largely projected as a late-round flyer or undrafted by most other NHL draft outlets.
Luc Koblar’s on-ice production
Luc Koblar is known more for his physicality and two-way play than he is for his point production, so his point production can be a bit deceiving. He currently plays a stable and consistent puck-moving game for Leksands IF’s SHL team, where the centerman averages around 15:33 of TOI per game this season.
| Year | Draft Relative | League | Team | GP | Goals | Assists | Points |
| 23-24 | DY-1 | J18 Region | Leksands IF J18 | 22 | 9 | 23 | 32 |
| 23-24 | DY-1 | J18 Nationell | Leksands IF J18 | 16 | 1 | 7 | 8 |
| 23-24 | DY-1 | J20 Nationell | Leksands IF J20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23-24 | DY-1 | WJC-18 | Norway | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 23-24 | DY-1 | International Jr. | Norway | 11 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 24-25 | DY | J18 Region | Leksands IF J18 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| 24-25 | DY | J18 Nationell | Leksands IF J18 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 24-25 | DY | J20 Nationell | Leksands IF J20 | 43 | 8 | 13 | 21 |
| 24-25 | DY | WJC-18 | Norway U18 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 24-25 | DY | International Jr. | Norway U18 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 24-25 | DY | WJC-U20 D1A | Norway U20 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 24-25 | DY | International Jr. | Norway U20 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 25-26 | DY+1 | U20 Nationell | Leksands IF J20 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 25-26 | DY+1 | SHL | Leksands IF | 37 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 25-26 | DY+1 | WJC-U20 | Norway U20 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
Luc Koblar has yet to have a breakout season with Leksands IF, so expect him to continue working his way up the lineup there next season before he makes the jump to North American hockey. Right now, Koblar remains a raw prospect going through key developmental years.
If the Norwegian continues building momentum in the SHL, expect the Leafs to sign him once he turns 20/21. Then, if the 6’03 forward proves himself with the Marlies, he might just have a spot in the NHL within the next 3–4 or so years. As a second-rounder, Luc Koblar is more of a long-term project.
Luc Koblar’s Strengths
Luc Koblar plays the game of a power forward, with good mobility, crushing physicality, and play-supporting puck skills. The unique combo of hard and soft skills makes Luc Koblar an all-around supporting threat who keeps pace well, while demonstrating the grit to get to dirtier areas of the ice.
Playing in the top Swedish league at the age of 18 is not too common, but that is exactly what the 6’03 Luc Koblar is doing. Throughout the season, including his international play, Luc Koblar averages 15:33 of TOI per game, with 2:16 of that coming on the power play.
Skating
Skating is one of the core elements of Luc Koblar’s play, as the Norwegian has no issues keeping up with the pace or speed of any play. Mechanically, Luc Koblar has a calm, smooth stride with clean ankle flection and consistent start-stop edgework.
This edgework gives the SHL forward an advantage on in-tight plays, and particularly amplifies his board play effectiveness and fluidity, which translates to Luc Koblar creating space in close without any major issues.
In addition to his mechanical base being solid, the European keeps up with transitional pace quite well, with consistent crossover integration, elements of deception in his footwork, and agility. Specifically, this higher-end agility enables the 18-year-old to weave in and out of lanes and effectively create routes.
This deceptive footwork, his physical frame, and route creativity mean that Luc Koblar can efficiently secure zone entries for Leksands IF. These zone entries are an element that his teammates rely on him for, as the Toronto draftee generates 5.4 zone entries per game, despite him only starting 2.9 breakouts.
The Norwegian’s skating aptitude gives him the freedom to attack the offensive zone any way he wants, while also giving his angles of attack on the forecheck even more upside, as he can attack from anywhere.
Luc Koblar’s mechanics, mobility, and route creation are all solid, but improvements to his overall top speed and rate of acceleration could make his transitional game even more potent. Expect this power and speed improve as he ages and gains more muscle mass.
Physicality
Physicality is another core element of Luc Koblar’s play, as his primary role at the SHL level is to be a net screen and down-low supporter. The 6’03 Norwegian is never disengaged from a play, as his frame is constantly thrown around, while also using his reach to disrupt and poke any opponent in distance.
In addition to the sheer basics of physicality, he also has a wrecking-ball mentality on the ice, with high-end hit frequency, heavy physical pressure on the forecheck, and good angling that makes his hits even more effective. Luc Koblar averages 1.21 hits per game, but that number might be a bit conservative.
The big Norwegian seems to play bumper cars every single shift, as he always finishes his checks.
Speaking of bumper cars, the 18-year-old forward is a key asset in three-zone board play for Leksands IF. The Leafs draftee has good physical habits that allow him to close gaps quickly, transfer his leverage on opponents (effectively pinning them), and effectively separate opponents from the puck in scrums.
The Leksands IF forward is engaging in 14 puck battles a game and has a 48% success rate. Statistically, this success rate does not look ideal, but the 2nd-rounder is an 18-year-old battling against grown men, so it is a good starting point.
He also shows no hesitation in battling for body positioning in any situation. Particularly on offence, his grit shines as a net front screen, where the draftee shows a solid physical willingness and the ability to free up dirty areas of the ice for his teammates. Luc Koblar’s frame makes him an ideal down-low supporter or in-tight finisher.
Defensively, Luc Koblar also shows a tendency to clog up shot lanes, isolate opponents to the outside, and block shots when necessary.
Puck skills
When Luc Koblar is not supporting plays with his body, he is serving as a key play connector.
An element that combines his skating, physicality, and puck skills is the young forward’s handling and puck protection mechanics, as his wrist-at-hip positioning plus a wider skating stance blends nicely with his muscle mass to amplify his control and make it almost impossible to push the Norwegian off the puck.
This handling can be done with both high pace and static in-zone facilitation. Another element that makes Luc Koblar’s puck skills so articulate is his crisp passing, with around 20 passes a game, and a 86% accuracy.
On offensive rush attacks, the 6’03 forward does not overcomplicate plays and makes reliable, smart-timed passes, which highlight his timing, puck placement, and consistent on-ice vision. This vision, combined with the previously mentioned mobility, can make Luc Koblar a decent rush threat.
The Leafs 2nd-rounder is also by no means a selfish player as he is a quick decision-maker, and a play facilitator in the offensive zone. His control, poise, and pressure absorption allow smooth off-puck positioning for his teammates, which can generate high-quality scoring chances.
There are also sprinkles of deception in his passing game with fakes, look-offs, and slap passes that further amplify his role as a play connector. On average, Luc Koblar generates 1.34 scoring chances a game.
Luc Koblar’s Areas of Improvement
The 2007-born forward plays a mobile, puck-moving and hard-hitting game. Overall, Luc Koblar’s limitations are evident in areas of hockey sense and a consistent compete level.
Senses and an average compete Level
Luc Koblar’s vision can see the game, but he cannot drive the pace of play or create, which are two major barriers that will keep the 18-year-old in a depth role at the NHL level. At the core of his problem is his overall awareness, which comes from a lack of scanning, play processing, and play anticipation.
This means that Luc Koblar is quite a reactionary player, which can lead to premature play cheating and frequent play misreads. These misreads at higher levels on North American ice would result in higher-quality chances against. His defensive responsibility, motor, and intensity are noticeably lax.
The 2025 draftee also lacks consistent defensive instincts, which results in play chasing, physical priorities rather than defensive priorities, reduced risk mitigation and risk management. Overall, his defensive instincts, play reading, and awareness are lacking.
There are also pauses in his game, where the 2007-born forward is processing what is happening around him and then, after a minor hesitation, jumps into the play. These sorts of pauses are not possible at the NHL level.
These defensive shortcomings are further explained by his limited penalty-killing role of 11 seconds per game, and why the Norwegian only starts 28% of his shifts in the defensive zone.
Offensively, he lacks creativity, instincts, and pressure awareness, which hampers play creation for the young forward. Luc Koblar plays 2:16 of his total time on ice per game on the man advantage, but this is largely as a net front presence or as a bumper play supporter.
The SHL’er is relied upon for passing, not his hockey IQ.
The 2nd-rounder is primarily a play facilitator, which is a capable offensive effort but lacks innovation. The young forward often resorts to basic short passes that offload more complex decisions on teammates.
Luc Koblar also shows a lack of offensive motor, especially in terms of space creation/usage, which is more common in dynamic play reads and play-driving efforts.
His point production might look good with 10 points across 37 games, but with a 19% conversion rate, it raises questions about long-term sustainability. It raises questions about his creation frequency and exactly how sustainable his finishing ability will be next season.
Luc Koblar’s senses will have issues translating to the NHL level, and his compete level will need to improve. As it stands, the 18-year-old projects as a capable secondary play supporter with physical and transitional upside more than any sort of play driver or creator.
Luc Koblar’s next steps
Luc Koblar’s first step is working his way up Leksands IF’s lineup in the SHL. If his hockey sense can be further developed in the next couple of seasons, it might fast-track his development as a whole. Right now, Luc Koblar is about two years away from any North American considerations.
With him being selected in the second round, it is unlikely that the 2025 draftee goes unsigned, which gives the Norwegian more leniency than some of the SHL players selected in the later rounds.
Also expect international appearances with Team Norway to continue for Luc Koblar, as he ages up, which is always bonus development time for any prospect.
Projection with the Leafs
Luc Koblar’s skating, physicality, and puck skills are quite projectable as he will increase his power and muscle mass while further refining his passing with more experience. Luc Koblar’s senses remain the main question, as his instincts, awareness, and hockey IQ have clear limitations and have ingrained bad habits.
The 6’03 forward is the classic high-floor with a low-ceiling prospect, and has a strong mechanical base to work his way into the lineup in a depth role at the bare minimum. If his senses grow to be more dynamic, Luc Koblar could work his way up the lineup, but how likely that improvement is remains anyone’s guess.
NHL ETA: 4 Years
NHL Projection: Likely a bottom-six shut-down forward
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