Yaroslav Fedoseyev is already nudging past the usual sixth-round draft track, and now he’s got a real chance to speed things up even more.
The 18-year-old, taken 161st overall by the Maple Leafs - a pick Toronto acquired by trading a 2027 fifth-rounder - has landed on Traktor Chelyabinsk’s preseason roster. That gives him a path to earn a spot with the KHL club in 2026-27, and potentially put himself in a much stronger position with the Leafs before long.
Fedoseyev is viewed as a shutdown-style defender, the kind of player who leans on instincts, physicality and a mean streak to make life miserable for opponents. Toronto’s other draft additions were centered more on mobility and puck movement, so he stands out as the harder-edged blue-liner in the group.
He also arrives with a strong statistical footprint from his time across Russia’s major leagues in 2025-26. In the VHL, MHL and KHL combined, he posted 20 points - four goals and 16 assists - in 58 games.
Traktor is no stranger to him either. Fedoseyev already appeared in nine games for the club in 2025-26 and recorded one goal, so this won’t be his first look at KHL hockey.
This time, though, the opportunity is bigger. He’s on the preseason roster and could compete for one of the spots available on a defense group that, according to Elite Prospects, currently projects with only five blueliners.
That setup matters because it gives the teenager a legitimate opening to win a job, or at least push veteran defenders hard enough to make the decision difficult. He’ll also be joining former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nikita Soshnikov, who received a tryout contract with Traktor.
For Toronto, the appeal is obvious. A full KHL season would give the organization an early read on how Fedoseyev handles a high-end professional league. If he can keep his defensive edge while adding offense and carving out steady ice time, the Leafs will have a much clearer picture of what they’re dealing with.
That’s especially useful for a club that just added Ethan MacKenzie, Ryan Bilecki and Mans Gudmundsson to its defensive pipeline, while also dealing with an aging NHL blueline. More games, more reps and more exposure only help a prospect like Fedoseyev tighten his game and build confidence before he eventually heads to North America.
He’s not guaranteed anything yet, but being in the mix at 18 says plenty. Traktor is giving him a real shot to play his way into the lineup, and Toronto has every reason to keep watching closely. If this keeps moving in the right direction, the Leafs may be looking at a future NHL option who has already started to force the issue.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Projected Lineup Puts Familiar Faces In A Tough Spot
A projected look at the Maple Leafs for the 2026-27 season shows just how much the roster could change if the organization follows through on its recent wave of additions and staff adjustments. The lineup concept tries to strike a balance between scoring and structure, but it also reflects a club that is still sorting out where the offense comes from and how the blue line will be arranged around its newer pieces.
For familiar faces, the uncomfortable part is what is not there. The projection leaves room for several newcomers while pushing some established names into different roles, a reminder that no spot is guaranteed once the roster is reshaped and the coaching staff starts making its own preferences known. Goaltending remains a major swing factor too, with health and consistency still central concerns as the team tries to settle on a dependable foundation in net. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Blue-Line Plan Changed Over One Price They Wouldn't Pay
Zach Werenski loomed as the kind of blue-line swing the Maple Leafs rarely get a real chance to chase. He was a prominent trade candidate, Toronto was said to be interested, and he even reportedly viewed the Leafs as the only Canadian club he would prefer. But Columbus asking price was steep, with the Blue Jackets seeking major assets back, including Matthew Knies, and that immediately put Toronto in a familiar spot of weighing immediate impact against future cost.
In the end, the Leafs did not move Knies, which left the Werenski pursuit on the shelf and sent the club in a different direction for its defense. Toronto pivoted to Darren Raddysh on a long-term deal, choosing to commit to a player it could lock in rather than empty the cupboard for a bigger name. It was a clear sign of how hard the Leafs were willing to push on the back end, and how far they were ultimately prepared to go without crossing a price they would not pay. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Face A Tough Call As Trade Buzz Starts Building
As the season gets closer, the Maple Leafs are already being linked to a familiar type of target: players who could help if the roster needs a jolt later on. The discussion around potential fits has centered on a mix of forward and blue-line possibilities, with Morgan Frost of the Calgary Flames, Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Erik Karlsson, and Zach Werenski all surfacing as names worth watching. Nothing is close to happening, but the early chatter is being driven by contract situations and Torontos need to keep tabs on realistic options.
Frost is the one who seems to line up most naturally with what Toronto has been looking for in the middle of the ice, especially if the Leafs want more depth at center without overextending. The broader picture is still fluid, though, and the Leafs could find themselves chasing one target while another slips out of reach, which is why the market is being watched so closely already. For now, it is all about laying out scenarios and seeing which players stay available long enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]