Ahead of Tuesday’s preseason game against the Ottawa Senators, the Toronto Maple Leafs are returning defenceman Owen Conrad to the Charlottetown Islanders of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Conrad was invited to camp on an amateur tryout and he survived the first round of cuts, when the Maple Leafs returned six players to major junior on September 20. The 18-year-old defenceman posted seven goals and 26 points in 64 games for Charlottetown last season, and did not register a point in four playoff games. He participated in the 2025 Prospect Showdown, taking part in the Maple Leafs’ victory over the Montreal Canadiens’ prospect team on September 14.
At 6-foot-3, 207 pounds, Conrad has the desired size and profile that the Maple Leafs are looking for, but he’ll need to continue to refine his game.
Undrafted free agent defenseman Owen Conrad will attend Leafs training camp after participating in development and rookie camp.
Conrad was widely projected to be a mid-round pick in this past draft. One to watch as a potential addition to the prospect pool. https://t.co/OZLH1sUYRd
— Nick Richard (@_NickRichard) September 17, 2025
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Here’s what Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis wrote about Conrad’s game on June 28, following the NHL Draft. Ellis ranked Conrad as the 69th-best player in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Conrad is an athletic, strong defenseman who can move the puck and take space away. Conrad’s offense might not be a shining element of his game, but he’s playing with more aggressiveness than we’ve seen from him at other levels – and he’s dang good in his own zone. At the very least, Conrad will earn love for just how rugged he is. QMJHL attackers don’t seem to like to play against him.
Toronto will place a roster full of NHL regulars during Tuesday’s game against Ottawa. During Sunday’s preseason opener, Toronto held on for a 4-3 victory, using a team mainly comprising of likely AHL players and camp invites, while Ottawa sported a complete NHL roster, with Jake Sanderson as the lone notable scratch.
It’s clear that the Maple Leafs believe they found value in Conrad after he went undrafted, but making cuts is the toughest part of training camp and Conrad will surely benefit from another year with Charlottetown.
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