We are just about a month away from preseason action, where fans will get a glimpse at future stars who will take the ice for a shot at cracking their team’s roster. With that in mind, what better time to look at the league’s talent pool heading into the 2025-26 season?
On Thursday, Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis put together his annual ranking of prospect pools across the NHL. This year, the Toronto Maple Leafs have landed in 24th place. Their focus on being competitive now has cost their future somewhat, though their depth is starting to build, writes Ellis:
It’s still not a strong pipeline, but Toronto’s depth appears to be better than it was a year ago. The team has options at every position, and while most aren’t going to be impact players, they need as much depth as they can get. Toronto’s focus is on winning right now, but having some legit help either down the road at Coca-Cola Coliseum or marinating in Europe could go a long way.
With the last decade spent focused on building a team that is ready to win now, there’s no question that Toronto’s prospect pool has suffered, though that’s starting to turn around now with some burgeoning young talent. Ellis lists Toronto’s key prospects right now as Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, and Dennis Hildeby.
Cowan in particular is one who has the potential to break the Leafs roster as soon as this year, and this week, The Leafs Nation’s Zack Phillips was joined by Ellis himself to discuss the next step for the young London Knights’ star, and his potential to make his way to the big leagues. Amidst a summer of hard work, the 20-year-old attacker said he’s ready for the challenge and focused on himself heading towards the fall.
“I’m just worried about myself,” Cowan said, speaking at Leafs development camp in July. “I have the chance to get a job. That’s up to me to go out there and show what I can do and play my game. Still a couple months away, so I’m gonna take every day, day by day, and just keep getting better.”
Defenceman Ben Danford, Toronto’s 2024 first-round pick, is looking to building off a 25-point season with the Oshawa Generals last year. The 6-foot-2, 195 lb. 19-year-old is poised to bring size and physicality to the Maple Leafs blue line down the road. Hildeby meanwhile already has a few starts in the NHL thanks to a flurry of injuries in between the pipes last year, but is set to keep developing in the AHL this season.
One piece of good news for fans in Toronto is that Ellis has them ranked one place ahead of the Ottawa Senators, who landed in 25th. On the Senators, Ellis notes that “there aren’t many high-profile prospects waiting to take the next step forward,” outside of Carter Yakemchuk and Leevi Meriläinen, who are likely to start this season in the NHL. Beyond that, the Senators have work to do before they can increase their threat as Toronto’s Ontario rival over the next few years.