Top prospects for Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the top five prospects for the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to NHL.com.

1. Easton Cowan, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 28 pick in 2023 NHL Draft

2024-25 season: London (OHL): 46 GP, 29-40-69

The 20-year-old appears poised to take the next step in his career and will be given every opportunity at training camp to earn a roster spot with the Maple Leafs.

“Time will tell,” Toronto assistant general manager, player development Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser said. “I guess that’s the question we are asking ourselves, but my money is on him that he will be fit enough and prepared enough. The experience to be able to step in and play, we will see very quickly when camp starts.”

Cowan flourished under the tutelage of London coach Dale Hunter, leading all scorers during the Ontario Hockey League playoffs with 39 points (13 goals, 26 assists) in 17 games and helping lead London to the Memorial Cup championship in the team's second straight appearance in the finals. His performance earned him the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as Memorial Cup most valuable player.

Projected NHL arrival: This season

2. Ben Danford, D

How acquired: Selected with No. 31 pick in 2024 NHL Draft

2024-25 season: Oshawa (OHL): 61 GP, 5-20-25

Though the 19-year-old admittedly feels he has not reached his offensive potential as of yet, it’s his defensive prowess and hard-hitting style that will pave the way for his road to the NHL.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound defenseman brings a leadership quality to the rink, as demonstrated by the fact Oshawa already has named him captain for this season. He was one of the top players at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Minneapolis this summer and hopes to earn a spot on Canada’s roster for the 2026 IIHF Under-20 World Junior Championships.

“The thing I’ve noticed is his game is starting to calm down,” Wickenheiser said. “He’s a great skater. He moves as well as anyone on the ice here.

“Sometimes he tries to do too much when he plays in the OHL with Oshawa, and we’ve been talking to him a lot about taking the time to play calm, getting inside lanes, to block shots.”

Projected NHL arrival: 2027-28

3. Noah Chadwick, D

How acquired: Selected with No. 185 pick in 2023 NHL Draft

2024-25 season: Lethbridge (WHL): 66 GP, 13-40-53

For a player the Maple Leafs took a sixth-round flyer on at the 2023 NHL Draft, the 20-year-old’s ascension and development certainly has been promising.

The 6-foot-4, 207-pound defenseman can be an intimidating force on the ice and was Lethbridge captain last season, earning WHL Eastern Conference First Team honors. Chadwick's skating is the biggest question mark, though he has shown improvement in that area.

“He will be an interesting project,” Wickenheiser said. “He has the size you are hearing about, and it is something we don’t have in the organization with a prospect.”

Projected NHL arrival: 2027-28

4. Tyler Hopkins, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 86 pick in 2025 NHL Draft

2024-25 season: Kingston (OHL): 67 GP, 20-31-51

The 18-year-old is a lifelong Maple Leafs fan and has a chance to fulfill a dream of playing for them one day if he continues to improve. The 6-foot-1, 179-pound center made an immediate positive impression at Toronto’s development camp this summer, just days after being selected in the third round by the team he grew up cheering for.

“He stood out because of his hockey sense,” Wickenheiser said.

The No. 4 pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection Draft, Hopkins has earned the reputation of being one of the better defensive forwards in the OHL.

Projected NHL arrival: 2027-28

5. Artur Akhtyamov, G

How acquired: Selected with No. 106 pick in 2020 NHL Draft

2024-25 season: Toronto (AHL): 26 GP, 11-8-4, 2.81 GAA, .901 save percentage, 3 SOs

A case can be made for either Akhtyamov (6-2, 170) or fellow goalie Dennis Hildeby to occupy this spot in the rankings. The 23-year-old is a year younger than Hildeby and will be looking to outplay Hildeby in the battle to be the first goalie called up to the Maple Leafs should either Joseph Woll or Anthony Stolarz be injured.

Akhtyamov got off to a good start in his first season in North America in 2024-25 and did not lose a game until Dec. 15. But he showed inconsistency the rest of the way, something he’ll have to work on in the AHL this season.

Projected NHL arrival: Next season