Gavin McKenna is the headline of Toronto’s prospect pipeline, but he’s far from the only name worth tracking heading into this season.
Toronto missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade last year, yet still walked away from the summer feeling genuinely optimistic after winning the draft lottery and landing McKenna first overall. Auston Matthews and William Nylander remain the centerpieces of this roster, with John Tavares sliding into more of a secondary role. Matthew Knies has become a real fixture, while longtime veteran Morgan Rielly looks to be on his way out.
McKenna brings exactly the kind of playmaking vision and creativity this roster has been missing—the type of passer who could rack up massive point totals right away at the NHL level. His defensive game still needs real work, but there’s genuine confidence that it improves with time given his overall hockey sense. One underrated trait worth watching is his willingness to stick up for himself despite not being a physical player by nature. He picked up three game misconducts last season, one at the World Junior Championship and two at Penn State, when things got heated on the ice.
Beyond McKenna, Toronto’s system has real depth building toward NHL relevance.
Tinus Luc Koblar has risen fast since being drafted, a mobile 6-foot-3 forward with a strong shot and real distribution skills. He impressed against pros and NHLers alike at the World Championship, and he’ll spend one more year in Sweden’s SHL before likely heading to the AHL.
Miroslav Holinka exploded offensively in the WHL last season, less about highlight-reel dangles and more about consistently being part of good plays. He’s jumping straight to the AHL and should make an impact quickly.
Harry Nansi plays with real pace and energy, always working to create offense even on a struggling Owen Sound team last season. He plays with an intensity most teammates simply can’t match.
On defense, Ben Danford profiles as exactly the shutdown presence Toronto is always hunting for. He jumped to the AHL after his OHL career ended, helping the Marlies win the Calder Cup across 16 playoff games.
Noah Chadwick brings solid two-way ability and sharp passing decisions, reading the ice well at both ends even though his skating remains a real hurdle to clear.
William Villeneuve was arguably Toronto’s best AHL defenseman as last season wore on, exploding for over a point-per-game pace during the Calder Cup playoffs. He’s already appeared in three NHL games and looks like a realistic call-up option, even just as injury depth.
In net, Artur Akhtyamov is expected to get real NHL run this season, aided by a built-in mentorship opportunity with newly signed Sergei Bobrovsky. Akhtyamov posted a .864 save percentage across three NHL games so far. Undersized for the position but consistently impactful, including a legendary AHL playoff run that carried the Marlies through stretches they had no business winning. Turning 25 early this season, Akhtyamov looks ready to push for a real full-time NHL role, which could make Toronto’s goaltending situation genuinely crowded behind Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz.
Between McKenna’s arrival and this much organizational depth pushing for real opportunities, Toronto’s pipeline looks meaningfully stronger than it did just one offseason ago. The Maple Leafs aren’t simply adding one generational talent—they’re stacking a system with multiple pathways to impact. That combination of star potential at the top and genuine NHL-caliber depth underneath is exactly why the organization has reason to believe the next chapter could look very different.