With the Toronto Maple Leafs season dwindling to a merciful end, and not to mention the draft lottery on the horizon, the focus of Leafs Nation has shifted. After years of losing playoff relevance, the Leafs have stumbled, drawing greater attention to an aspect of the organization that has been deprioritized, the prospect system.
With that in mind, it is important to take stock of what the Leafs already have in the system. Across several leagues, there are players worth monitoring. Although the Leafs, understandably, have one of the weaker prospect pools league-wide, there are some key areas to keep an eye on. Let’s focus today on some bright spots in the Leafs system from outside the AHL.
CHL
Prospects in the CHL that have already been drafted should be excelling. These players will have the opportunity to put up gaudy points totals, more so than prospects in higher leagues. Their statistics should be impressive, but keeping in mind how these stats are achieved is crucial to projecting prospects to the NHL.
With that said, there are several standouts among Leafs prospects in the CHL. These players will be wrapping up their regular seasons and could potentially raise their stock with strong playoff performances.
WHL
Miroslav Holinka
Czech centre Miroslav Holinka has been dominant in the WHL this season, with 80 points in 59 games. This will be his last junior season, but it is still impressive that he spent most of the season fighting for the league lead in points.
Holinka might be the Leafs prospect with the most upside at the centre position. There is clearly a lot of skill to work with, despite his being a mid-round draft pick for the Leafs.
While his offensive totals are impressive, his style of play offers some encouragement as he progresses up the ranks. A strong stick and a big body certainly help, but the details of Holinka’s game have already impressed Leafs coaches at rookie camp. There is certainly hope that Holinka will have enough defensive chops to become a two-way centre as a professional.
There will still be a long road ahead before Holinka can be called upon by the Leafs, but he should be an AHL regular next season. Expecting his offensive production to be higher than a half point per game as an AHL rookie would be optimistic. The quickest path might be for Holinka to survive as an AHL rookie before thriving as a sophomore.
OHL
Ben Danford
Bend Danford is clearly among the Leafs best prospects. After representing Canada at the U20 World Juniors, Danford is wrapping up his final season of junior hockey. Bound for the AHL next season, Danford impressed Leafs coaches at training camp this season.
His game should translate well into the professional ranks. This is evidenced by his being voted as the best shot blocker in a recent poll of OHL coaches. Danford’s individual offence will not be his selling point, especially as he turns pro. Instead, there might be shades of Chris Tanev to his game. But he did put up 16 points in 37 games after being traded to the Brantford Bulldogs.
The defensive traits are evident, and so building the appropriate strength will be vital to his development. Experience will be big here as well. The good news is that Danford is trending in a positive direction and has shown the hockey sense to fulfill such a role. A season or two in the AHL might be enough for Danford to start pushing for an NHL role.
As a defensive right shot, he fits well on the timeline the Leafs NHL club offers. With an ageing and oft-injured Chris Tanev, a more immediate arrival would be fantastic. Still, Brandon Carlo has but one season left on his deal after this one. Needless to say, Danford being an NHL option by the 2027–28 season will be vital.
Harry Nansi
Elsewhere, Harry Nansi was voted most improved player in the OHL coaches poll. This is important recognition for Nansi, who greatly increased his offensive production this season. He jumped from 23 points to 56 this season. Nansi will need to keep developing in this area as well, as it might be one of the weaker spots in his profile.
Nansi brings a lot of other qualities to the ice. His compete level is routinely listed as one of his strongest traits. He has played some centre this season after spending last season on the wing. A reliable, high-energy forward with positional flexibility is a great floor for Nansi, but the offensive trajectory is encouraging. With a style of play that should translate well to the higher ranks, another leap forward offensively could make Nansi a much more notable prospect in the Leafs system.
Tyler Hopkins
Tyler Hopkins is worth a mention here as well. A third-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft, there was some hype for Hopkins this past summer. While his offensive production has seemed to stagnate this season, he has been among the most consistent producers for both OHL teams he has played for.
Similar to Nansi, Hopkins does profile as being able to win puck battles, perhaps revealing a stylistic preference for the Leafs amateur scouts. Granted, this season has not raised his stock too much, but Hopkins is still worth keeping an eye on for Leaf fans.
Sweden
Victor Johansson
For much of the season, eyes were focused on Victor Johansson, the left-shot defenceman who appeared in the U20 World Juniors. Though Sweden won the tournament, Johansson was largely outclassed by his teammates with higher draft pedigree. Johansson might be one of the Leafs top defence prospects; he seems to have a longer path ahead of him than Danford.
Still, there has been some positive growth this season for Johansson. After a brief audition in the SHL last season, Johansson has spent most of this season at the professional level. Though he has not yet earned a full-time SHL spot, playing a regular role in the Allsvenskan is a good step. Another season in Sweden could be the best thing, whether it be in the SHL or the Allsvenskan, though a move to the AHL is drawing nearer.
Tinus Luc Koblar
The biggest bright spot might be Tinus Luc Koblar, a second-round pick from 2025. Koblar has made the jump to the SHL, which is impressive at 18 years old. His size and skating make him a high-floor prospect who is likely to find his way into an NHL game at some point.
For now, his offensive game is the main area of growth. With his production similar to his work last season at the junior level, Koblar’s offensive game should continue to translate well. His 14 points this season might not jump off the page, but the leading scorer on his team had only 26 points. Growth in his individual offensive game will raise his perceived upside, but he profiles as more of a support player in that sense.
Koblar could feasibly make the jump to the AHL next season, but another season in the SHL might be more beneficial. Regardless, seeing some continued offensive growth will be crucial. If his production is able to take another big step, Koblar might be barrelling towards NHL relevance sooner rather than later.
