The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects and has been condensed from two articles to one. The article will bring you: The highlighted team’s draft; insights into its off-season moves; looking at prospect risers, fallers and likely prospects to play NHL games; and of course, the writers’ top-20 prospects. Articles may be brought back when an important team update occurs, so check back because we plan to fill your hockey withdrawal needs all off-season!
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Read past 32 series stories here: https://dobberprospects.com/category/feature/32-in-32-series/
Make sure to check out the Toronto Maple Leafs team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/toronto-maple-leafs/
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The Maple Leafs 2025-26 season was a perfect example of Murphy’s Law. Everything that could go wrong did. Coming off yet another soul crushing game seven loss to a divisional rival after they made everyone believe once again, they immediately lost Mitch Marner to free agency, and that’s not even mentioning the messy breakup leading up to the whole thing.
Heading into the season, success was paramount given they did not own either of their next two first round picks, and the Boston Bruins somehow convinced Brad Treliving to give them a top-five protected pick AND Fraser Minten for Brandon Carlo. The experiment did not work and Minten thrived in Boston while the pick looked destined to end up in one of their biggest rivals hands… until ball #12 saved the day.
The Maple Leafs won the draft lottery, meaning not only did they retain their pick, but they earned the right to select Gavin McKenna in the upcoming draft. A massive stroke of luck for an organization seemingly more than 12 months removed from one.
Now, with Auston Matthews on board with the plan (for now), Gavin McKenna entering the fray, a new coach and front office, the team gets the clean slate they desperately needed for this season. A lot of what this season will hinge on will be if they did enough to support their aging core and if Matthews will return to the form that made him the most dangerous goal scorer on the planet.
All of that starts with the draft and when they selected McKenna
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2026 NHL Draft Recap
Round 1, Pick 1; Gavin McKenna, LW
McKenna has spent years tormenting opposing defences in the WHL, and prep school prior to his time with Medicine Hat. Every first overall pick seems to have a few years of hype leading up to their draft year, but McKenna has been on the radar since he was 13, in part because his offensive game had been mature and so dynamic for many years. HIs elite distribution and deception made him one of, if not the best, players to go through the WHL in recent memory. All of this led up to his unprecedented decision to make the move to the NCAA for his draft year to take on a challenge that was a gamble.
He ended up with 51 points in 35 games played, but it was a struggle off the hop to find his rhythm. He struggled to adapt to the larger style game and with the different pace. For the first time in his life, he was not dominating the competition, which for a player labeled “generational” in some cases, this is a hard adjustment to not be anointed the best player on the ice each time out. But once he took the mantle, McKenna rose back to the top and you could see the player he once was again, and you could see the promise that so many scouts had outlined for years. He was once again dominating games offensively, taking over, and winning games single handedly for his team. The main criticism of his game has been his play away from the puck. McKenna, at times, looked disengaged and too lax when below the puck, and often took questionable routes to defend his own zone. But for a player of his offensive stature, that all comes secondary.
In the context of the Maple Leafs, for a team that needed anything to go their way after a horrendous season, and not to mention a horrible introductory for their new front office just a day before, McKenna landed in maybe the best possible spot for fantasy owners picking at the top end of their dynasty and keeper league drafts. He will immediately step into a situation not many first overall picks have had with several star players around him and an organization not trying to reset, but to retool on the fly.
McKenna brings a different look and replaces the skill set of a player who shall not be named in Leaf Land (yeah, that guy). From the early looks we have had at his personality, it looks to bring a glimpse of a changing culture, not being from hockey rich Toronto, but instead the northern market of Whitehorse. He will make an immediate impact, but how much of one is to be seen. Temper expectations year one, but if he reaches his potential, he will become one of the faces of the game in a short window in the largest market.
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Round 2, Pick 60; Alexander Bilecki, LHD
Bilecki represents the type of defenceman Chayka talked about when he said he wanted more defenders who can break out of their zone. He is a smart defenceman who rarely takes the easy route to chip the puck off the glass to relieve pressure, he wants to find a breakout and not turn the puck over. His skating technique still remains very raw, as he does not have that powerful stride a lot of mobile defenders in the NHL have. He will have to work on that stride to hit the next level of his game, but the foundation of a number three to four defenceman is there.
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Round 3, Pick 69 (nice); Ethan MacKenzie
A lot of what the Leafs have done this offseason has contradicted the former regime, but MacKenzie is the type of defenceman Brad Treliving would love. He is a big defender who is responsible, mobile, and loves to play physical. He is always looking for the next bone crushing hit. But that’s not to say he is not effective offensively, as he has logged extensive time on the second powerplay in Edmonton and has contributed in all facets of the game. Entering his age 20 season, MacKenzie is a more mature defenceman who should be ready to enter the professional ranks as soon as next season. And for an organization starved for legitimate defencemen coming through the pipeline, that is a welcome sight for MacKenzie and the Maple Leafs.
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Round 3, PIck 73; Zac Olsen
Olsen is the high motor and energy player NHL teams love to have in the middle of their lineup to torture opposing stars. He is a pest who never goes away and has the ability to play with teams’ top players, as he showed on the top line with Saskatoon of the WHL. He is always seeking out the puck and trying to get it to teammates who have a higher level skill set than him, but also has the ability to put it in the net and play that skill game. He needs to work on his shot selection, as he has the tendency that will drive everyone mad by firing it into someone’s shin guards, forcing the puck out the other way and killing the pressure.
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Round 3, Pick 76; Mans Gudmundsson
Gudmundsson is a responsible offensive defenceman who is not often caught out of position and one who has potential to find success as a team’s primary powerplay quarterback. Of course, the upside is not as high as the higher end defencemen in the class, but just having access to a powerplay is valuable for fantasy owners.
He is still a tall but very lanky skater at 6-3 and just 190 lbs. Once he bulks up, he will need to find a way to weaponize his cannon of a shot that seemingly always misses in big spots, a la former Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf.
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Round 3, Pick 85; Juuso Ainasto, G
The Maple Leafs have had surprising success in drafting goalies the last few regimes, particularly under Kyle Dubas. With the selection of Ainasto and the following pick, the team is ready to usher in the next wave of talent.
Ainasto is a highly athletic and competitive goalie who rose up the draft boards, not even being on the radar to start the season. He uses his strong lateral movements and vision to cut off large swaths of shooting space and still maintains that when he drops into his butterfly. It does not hurt that he is 6-4 either. His season has already started in U20-SM-Sarja, where he has strong early returns with a 1.50 goals against and a 0.949 save percentage. This is after dominating the U-18 league with a 1.74 GAA, although he did struggle when called up to U20. He is out to keep improving, and that start of the season is a great place to begin his ascension.
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Round 4, Pick 114; Patricks Plumins, G
Plumins had a strong draft year in Zemgale, the top tier in Latvia, with a 1.5 GAA and 0.927 save percentage as a draft eligible player in 16 games. He also dominated at the U-18 World Championships last spring. He only ranked 18th among European goaltenders last year, but seems like a diamond in the rough given his early output. He is expected to join the Chicoutimi Sagueneens of the QMJHL this season, where the organization will keep close tabs on him, but another strong selection between the pipes.
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Round 5, Pick 158; Cooper Williams, LW
Williams, similar to Olsen, is a guy who loves to get into the greasy parts of the ice. He does not have much of a high-end shot or vision for passing ability, but he makes up for that by creating a lot of chances around the net by just being in the right places. His calling card is his responsibility as a centre, which does not go unseen by NHL scouts. He is almost always above the puck and takes his responsibility as the last forward out of the defensive zone seriously. He is likely a bottom of the line up player who could find synergy near the top with a team’s top players, especially the ones in Toronto.
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Round 6, Pick 161; Yaroslav Fedoseyev, RHD
Fedoseyev is the kind of player you deploy to make life miserable for attackers trying to bulldoze their way to the net, because he will not have any of it. He is also efficient in moving the puck out of his zone and from danger. He rarely panics with the puck when facing pressure and is willing to take damage to make the right play, even if he gets a little banged up from it. His being a solid 6-2 defenceman with a lot of room to grow certainly helps his build similar to that of a brick wall.
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Round 6, Pick 169; Brady Pepoy, LW
Pepoy shows no fear when attacking opposing defenders, almost to a flaw. He is relentless on the puck and is a punishing force, often coming downhill on guys. His offensive ability is not very high, but he could become an average high energy player at the bottom of the lineup. Something you could argue the organization has lacked in recent iterations of the roster.
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Off-Season Moves
Incoming (Years Remaining, AAV)
Gavin McKenna – 3 Years, 1.075 Million
Colton Sissons – 2 Years, 4.25 Million
Jack Roslovic – 2 Years, 4 Million
Nick Paul – 3 Years, 3.15 Million
Brandon Duhaime – 3 Years, 2.6 Million
Teddy Blueger – 2 Years, 2.5 Million
Zack MacEwen – 2 Years, 875k
Brendan Brisson – 1 Year, 850k
Darren Raddysh – 8 Years, 8.5 Million
Emil Andrae – 2 Years, 1.55 Million
Sergei Bobrovsky – 3 Years, 7 Million
Samuel Hlavaj – 1 Year, 850k
Outgoing
Nick Robertson
Calle Jarnkrok
Mattias Maccelli
Simon Benoit
Brandon Carlo
Joseph Woll
Dennis Hildeby
Re-Signed (Years Remaining, AAV)
Troy Stetcher – 2 Years, 1.35 Million
Vinny Lettieri – 1 Year, 850k
Ryan Tverberg – 1 Year 850k
Jacob Quillan – 1 Year, 850k
William Villeneuve – 2 Years, 875k
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In The System
Risers
Tinus Luc Koblar, C
Koblar was a pick of the previous regime, but will figure into the plans for the team moving forward after a solid rookie season with Leksands in the top tier in Sweden. He put up 14 points in the season and had a spotlight after some very strong international appearances, most notably at the World Hockey Championships in the spring. He signed his ELC with the organization, so he will play for the Marlies this season. The team does not have a lot of centre depth beyond their top players and some depth guys, so Koblar could get an opportunity sooner than later to make an impression. He is one of the main prospects in the system, so he will be given every chance to succeed.
William Villeneuve, RHD
Villeneuve is another player selected by Kyle Dubas who is just starting to blossom now. He starred for the Marlies on their Calder Cup run and got a short look with the big club at the end of last season. He is an offensively driven right shooting defenceman, something this team lacked until they got Raddysh this offseason. Villeneuve should still be a top option for a call up should there be an injury on the back end, particularly to Raddysh or Rielly, their premier puck movers from the position.
Artur Akhtyamov, G
The MVP of the Calder Cup run, Akhtyamov had a coming out party and was spectacular for the Marlies on their quest for glory. His road to the NHL got murky when the Maple Leafs signed fellow countryman Sergei Bobrovsky, but with the concurrent move of Dennis Hildeby, the organization showed faith in Akhtyamov by clearing the way, and effectively making him the third option in the crease. Given Anthony Stolarz is not exactly the picture of consistent health, Akhtyamov should get a look in the NHL at some point, and considering Bobrovsky is 37 and could use a rest at some point, the opportunities will start rolling in.
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Fallers
Ryan Tverberg, C
When the pipeline was at its shallowest, Tverberg was considered one of the few projectable players who could earn a call up and provide the team with some cheap depth in case of injury. Since then, the organization has gone through an overhaul and has breathed new life into their prospect system, forcing Tverberg to fall behind on the depth chart. In spite of this, he posted career highs with 15 goals and 36 points in a championship season, so it may feel odd to place him in this category, but he does not have a high offensive ceiling to begin with, and will be further limited with less opportunities to find his way onto the NHL roster in a meaningful way.
Vyacheslav Peksa, G
Peksa was at one point in the same conversation as Akhtyamov as a blossoming duo in the net for the Maple Leafs pipeline. Since then, the two have trended in opposite directions, with Akhtyamov on the cusp of the NHL, and Peksa struggling to gain traction in the AHL. He posted a decent 0.904 save percentage in the ECHL last season, but has since been jumped by other prospects in the organization, and is now behind free agent signing Samuel Hlavaj. Peksa is another name it would not be surprising to see him head back to Russia at some point in the near future given the mounting road blocks in the organization.
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Expected to Start in the NHL
Gavin McKenna
Jacob Quillan
Likely to See NHL Action
Luke Haymes
Miroslav Holinka
Brendan Brisson
Ryan Tverberg
Ben Danford
Cade Webber
Artur Akhtyamov
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Top 20 Prospects
This section is intended to paint a picture of the Toronto Maple Leafs prospects whose current trajectory projects them making the most positive fantasy impact at the time that they reach the NHL. Arrival date and NHL certainty have been taken into consideration; however, potential upside is the most important factor in determining this list.
- Gavin McKenna
- Artur Akhtyamov
- Tinus Luc Koblar
- Ben Danford
- Alexander Bilecki
- Noah Chadwick
- Ethan MacKenzie
- Miroslav Holinka
- Tyler Hopkins
- Luke Haymes
- Mans Gudmundsson
- Vyacheslav Peksa
- Ryan Tverberg
- Landon Sim
- Jacob Quillan
- Victor Johansson
- Borya Valis
- Brandon Buhr
- Zach Olsen
- Henrik Rybinski
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Make sure to check out the Toronto Maple Leafs team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/toronto-maple-leafs/
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Final Thoughts
The Maple Leafs made moves to stay competitive and on the bubble to get back into the postseason. Darren Raddysh gives them a legitimate top powerplay option who is not afraid to shoot the puck, while they look a little more complete, albeit shaky, at the bottom of the line up. A new coach should help by not trying to win every game 2-1, especially with the firepower and personnel they have at the top. It is no coincidence Matthews and Rielly, the two key pieces here, had their worst statistical seasons under Berube, and a new coach, especially one they are familiar with in Jim Hiller, should help them get back to their form.
There is cautious optimism in Leaf Land, for better or worse, for this upcoming season. With opening night less than two weeks away, the moment of truth is coming for this core.
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Sean Crocker