With the 2026 NHL draft complete, the Toronto Maple Leafs have now added another 10 prospects to their prospect pipeline. We here at the 6ix On Ice will be publishing in-depth player profiles for each of Leafs Nation’s newest additions, while also giving a brief projection of where they fit into the organization’s future.
With the Leafs’ second selection in the third round, the organization stayed within the WHL and went with Saskatoon Blades forward Zach Olsen. The 2008-born forward was the first of three picks from the Blades, and was projected to go in the 36–89 range. The Leafs ended up selecting him 73rd overall, making him their fourth overall selection in the 2026 draft.
Who is Zach Olsen?
| Position | Handedness | Height | Weight | 2025–26 TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right Winger | Right | 6’01 | 203lbs | 16:28 |
Olsen is a Calgary-born product and grew up within the Calgary Northstars and Edge School youth programs. The forward was a 2023 2nd-round pick in the WHL draft by the Saskatoon Blades and made his debut for them in the 2023–24 season. In his true rookie season, Olsen played admirably in a middle-six checking role, while also accumulating 23 points.
Entering this past season, Olsen was on the radar of NHL scouts from the start for his hard skills and mobility. A 34-point campaign also did not hurt, as the WHLer proved he could also be a secondary scorer. Olsen also had the opportunity to represent Canada internationally at the U18 World Junior Championship.
Olsen’s on-ice production
Olsen plays a game that is not entirely defined by his on-puck play, as what he does defensively and physically can not be totalled on a stats sheet. Despite the hard skills across two full WHL seasons (and a single game in 2023–24), Olsen has produced 57 points in 118 games. Expect this point total to increase as Olsen ages up and adds even more speed and strength to his game.
| Year | League | Team | GP | G | A | P | Playoff GP | Playoff G | Playoff A | Playoff P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | CSSHL U18 | Edge School | 25 | 14 | 15 | 29 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 2023-24 | WHL | Saskatoon Blades | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| 2024-25 | WHL | Saskatoon Blades | 60 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025-26 | WHL | Saskatoon Blades | 57 | 18 | 16 | 34 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 2025-26 | WJC-18 | Canada | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
The Blades forward is expected to return to the WHL for the 2026–27 campaign. Much like many of his fellow players, Olsen is expected to depart the WHL early, as he is committed to the NCAA D1 program at Colorado College for the 2027–28 season.
Olsen’s player profile
Olsen is a pure power forward, with high-end mobility and a willingness to do anything his team needs on the ice. The Canadian’s skillset is best highlighted by electric skating, strong physicality, and quick shooting. This mobility and hard skill are complemented by Olsen’s high-end motor and engagement rate, making the forward a crushing physical presence every shift.
Olsen does have some clear limitations, including below-average hockey sense, rough puck skills, and issues in transitional play that largely stem from a lack of playmaking. Especially his play sense limits his potential at the professional level, but does not entirely kill a possible transition to the NHL level.
With the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades and Team Canada this past season, Olsen averaged 16:28 of TOI per game, with 1:58 of it coming as a PP2 net-front presence and offensive zone disruptor/supporter. Olsen was a dependable top-six forward for the Blades, known as a physical pressure-exerting play-connector in his 20 shifts per game, averaging 70 puck touches per 60 minutes.
Olsen’s strengths
Where Olsen really excelled this past season was as a mobile wrecking ball and offensive opportunist. Olsen’s skating mechanics, posture, and speed were among the better draft-eligible last campaign, which the 6’1 forward blended with a high compete level, physical engagement, and (as Lil Jon would say) shots shots shots.
Skating
Functionally, Olsen employed good skating fundamentals with solid ankle/lower-body flexion, a wide skating base, and a consistent center of gravity. This center of gravity gave the 2008-born forward strong balance with every stride and made Olsen extremely hard to knock off the puck, best exemplified by his 3.5 offensive zone entries per game.
Mechanically, Olsen has a refined stride: a clean extension, rapid stride recovery, good depth, and moderate lateral acceleration. All of these elements combine to allow a bit of shiftiness and explosiveness in his overall game. If Olsen can incorporate more consistent deception, lane creation, and crossover integration, his skating will elevate next season.
Speed-wise, Olsen is not a complete speedster yet. The Calgary-born product has all the tools to be a speedster as he ages up, with good power generation, push-off, and agility. With only 201 pounds on his frame, expect more power and even higher-end speed that should make him a defender-burner as he makes his way through the CHL and NCAA ranks in the near future.
Leafs fans should keep a close eye on his defensive forecheck game, where the WHLer uses all the previously mentioned skating elements and blends them with tight gap control and route creation to amplify his defensive and physical pressure on any opponents trying to enter the Blades zone.
Physicality/Compete Level
Olsen is an absolute wrecking ball on the ice. From frequent physical engagements to a clean but destructive hitting form, he can routinely turn the momentum in his team’s favour. The 3rd-rounder also seamlessly integrates an active and engaged motor, energy, and intensity into every shift that makes him an active and selfless teammate.
The draftee’s skating amplifies his motor and energy, allowing him a high rate of play engagement both on and off the puck, while simultaneously making the most of every single inch of ice the 3rd-rounder is given. On average, the Leafs newest prospect hustles to 1.71 loose pucks a game, and certainly shows his motor every single shift.
The frequency of physical engagement is the most immediately noticeable thing about Olsen, as he is an energizer bunny on the ice, ping-ponging from one opponent to the next, giving opponents no breathing room as he always finishes his checks. Across the past season, the 2026 draftee dished out 1.58 hits, engaged in 15 board battles, and blocked 0.73 shots per game.
In defensive transition, Olsen is very much a bloodhound, with heavy physical pressure, smart angling, and the mobility to isolate, suffocate, and generate takeaways. This partially explains his 3.5 takeaways per game. In tight, Olsen uses strong body leverage, favourable body positioning, and sheer muscle to outwork his opponents on defence, and protect the puck on offence.
Both at five-on-five and the man advantage, the Calgary product serves as a net-front screen and uses every inch of his 6’1 height and 201 lbs frame to battle for space and take away any defensive advantage from his opponents. It is also in this position that the 2008-born forward serves as an adequate low-high play connector.
Even in high-paced transition plays, Olsen routinely bounces off opponent checks, which demonstrate just how effective his balance, hit absorption, and stability are, especially since he is on the receiving end of 1.04 hits against per game.
Talk about grit, physical pressure exertion/absorption, and absolute selflessness in a player’s hard skills. All of this physicality and compete level combine to make Olsen routinely prevent 1.15 scoring chances against per game through sheer effort level, while at the same time only committing a lowly 0.07 errors leading to a goal against.
His grit and willingness to crunch opponents will certainly endear fans, in a more mobile Zack Hyman way.
Shooting
Olsen is developing into quite an offensively minded opportunist with his shooting. Olsen likes to shoot a lot and from any angle (which is not always a good thing), judging by his four shots per game.
Mechanically, the WHLer has some zip behind his shot with a quick, powerful release and a wide diversity of shots. Additionally, the 2026 draftee also fights for slot shots and has a surprising clutch factor with a 0.34 goals-expected rate, despite only a 58% shot accuracy.
This shot and clutch factor partially explain the key to his success as a net-front forward with a knack for knocking home rebounds in tight.
Olsen’s areas of improvement
While Olsen does have an impressive base in skating, physicality, and shooting, the Alberta product does lack some refinement on the offensive side of the game. These rough patches particularly show up in his puck management and hockey IQ, which do leave much to be desired.
Hockey Sense
Olsen is not the most aware player on the ice, with evident challenges in play reading, offensive scans, and instincts. On the 2.9 breakouts per game that Olsen leads, he often resorts to forcing the puck into crowded lanes and high-pressure areas, and shows a genuine lack of option awareness. This lack of option awareness hints at issues with his overarching hockey IQ.
Simply put, the 2026 draftee lacks offensive creation, creativity, and pressure management ability when he has the puck. This creativity also displays some limitations in decision-making, as Olsen will resort to low-danger shots from the outside, questionable dekes, and ill-timed charges.
In the offensive zone, Olsen thrives the most as a basic facilitator because when the 2026 draftee gets too fancy, he creates turnovers due to a sheer lack of play anticipation, improvisation ability, and deception to his puck game. The WHLer’s 2.2 scoring chances a game largely come from rebounds, odd-man rushes, and half-wall shots more than pure creation.
There were moments this past season where Olsen showed elements of creation, but they were not consistent enough to justify the third-rounder as anything more than a hard-skill play connector.
Even in established defensive play, his anticipation and awareness lack at points, but unlike offensively, Olsen does have the instincts to know where to go to cover opponents to reduce risk, even if he can not prematurely mitigate the risk itself.
The good thing for Leafs fans is Olsen has a long development timeline to elevate his hockey sense with another season in the WHL and a likely four-year NCAA career.
Puck Skills
Puck management is a secondary issue with Olsen as his handling lacks fundamental hand-eye, vision, control and deception, which can put him in rough positions. One of the biggest problems with Olsen’s puck management is his on-ice vision and limited passing lane creation, which severely reduces his options and makes his handling that much easier to telegraph.
Handling with pace is also not an option for Olsen, as his pace manipulation is not evident in any regard. Additionally, with a 63% deke success rate, it’s also safe to say Olsen is not the most deceptive handler either.
Passing is a secondary issue with Olsen’s puck skills. The Alberta product’s pass delivery is hard, leading to rough pass receptions from his teammates, and that’s when he actually gets the pass placement correct to begin with. Across his 20 shifts, Olsen’s 12 passes have a low 83% completion rate, despite mostly being safe/short play connecting passes.
Leaf fans should not worry too much, as his handling and passing concerns are one of the most fixable issues that a prospect can have. The vision, decision-making, and predictability of his passes are not as much of a simple fix.
Olsen’s next steps
Olsen has another season left in the WHL with the Saskatoon Blades, so expect him to be a consistent top-six fixture in their lineup. Olsen should be earning more ice time at both even strength and special teams this season, and playing alongside fellow Leafs prospect Cooper Williams and Oilers standout David Lewandowski should help Olsen elevate the two-way side of his game more.
Expect Olsen to be a breakout candidate in the WHL this upcoming season as the 3rd-rounder should add even more power, muscle, and speed to his game. Olsen should be able to make the jump to Colorado College seamlessly for the 2027–28 season.
Projection with the Maple Leafs
Olsen is the Incredible Hulk of hockey prospects, with surprisingly fast mobility, a wrecking ball mentality and a never-give-up attitude; the Canadian is an absolute force on the ice. In the same breath, Olsen is prone to forcing plays, having tunnel vision, and not always creating, and that’s fine.
Leaf fans should rejoice that, despite Olsen’s limitations, the forward’s mobility, motor, and checking habits alone are always in demand at the NHL level. Even if Olsen’s puck skills and senses do not improve, he could realistically still be a reliable top 9 checking forward at the NHL level.
