The Maple Leafs’ prospect pool got a lot busier in June, and not just because of the draft. Toronto came away with 10 players selected and added five more through other avenues, leaving the organization with 15 new players in the system who are all under 25.
That’s a broad mix, and it starts with the one player the Leafs acquired directly through trade: Emil Andrae. His rights came over in the deal that sent Joe Woll to the Flyers, and Toronto later signed him to a two-year contract worth $1.55 million.
Andrae already has 103 NHL games on his résumé, which clears the usual benchmark for a draft hit. He played 61 games for Philadelphia last season and 42 the year before.
At 24, he’s also one of five prospects or players who will age off the list after this summer. He’s the classic tricky evaluation case: a puck-moving defender whose value comes from transition more than physical play or point production, which makes him tough to compare with the young blueliners piling up goals in junior.
The Leafs also leaned on their usual pipeline of free-agent additions from the NCAA and CHL ranks. Most of those players are headed for the minors, but this is the kind of group that occasionally produces a real NHL surprise.
Brandon Buhr is the oldest of that batch at 24 and likely the oldest player on the list next year as well. He’s a right-shooting winger who already has a few games with the Marlies.
Vinny Borgesi is 22, shoots right on defense, and made his Marlies debut last spring. Landon Sim, also 22, spent last year on an AHL contract and split time between the ECHL and the Marlies.
He’s now on an ELC with Toronto and should be with the Marlies this season. Hayes Hundley is the youngest of the free-agent group at 21, another right-shooting defender who should fit somewhere in the minors this year.
The draft class is the bigger chunk of the new group, and the ages tell the story of how far along each player already is.
Ethan MacKenzie is the oldest of the drafted players. He’s turning 20 soon, is described as a solid two-way defender, and most of his major developmental jumps are already behind him. After four years in the OHL, he has committed to the University of North Dakota, though he would be AHL-eligible if he chose to turn pro now.
Yaroslav Fedoseyev is nearly 19 and has already drawn attention from prospect watchers before the draft. He’s a right-shooting defender who spent some time in junior hockey last year, but also played a lot of men’s league hockey. This season, he’ll try to make his KHL club, though a return to the VHL is also on the table.
Gavin McKenna needs no introduction. He turns 19 in December, and training camp should reveal where he fits in the NHL lineup.
Patriks Plumins, who won’t turn 19 until January, was Latvia’s top U18 goalie and played in men’s league last season, though he shared the net and didn’t see much action. His next destination is still unclear. Chicoutimi drafted him in the QMJHL, but that doesn’t mean he has to go there.
Cooper Williams, who turns 19 next spring, is another North Dakota commit after two seasons in the WHL. He has mainly played center.
Zac Olsen is the same age and was his teammate in the WHL. He’s more of an energy forward and is headed to Colorado College next year.
Juuso Ainasto is 18 and has already appeared in a few international friendlies for Finland. He’s on their radar for the WJC after making the WJSS team.
Ainasto plays for Jokerit and split last season between the U20 and U18 levels. This year, the goal is to stick full-time with the U20 team at minimum.
Brody Pepoy won’t be 19 until next spring. He’s a high-energy forward trying to become more than a bottom-six option. He has only one OHL season so far, will go back to Saginaw this year, and is ultimately NCAA-bound.
Måns Gudmundsson is the youngest prospect in the group and won’t turn 19 until next June. He’s a right-shooting defender heading back to his U20 team in Sweden, where he’ll be hoping for more than the one SHL game he got last year. He has represented Sweden at the U18 level, but he’s not expected to be on the WJC roster.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs May Have Just Avoided A Brutal Blue Line Debate
The Maple Leafs may have sidestepped a conversation that could have gotten uncomfortable in a hurry on the blue line. Toronto has spent plenty of time trying to balance its defense, and the idea of moving Morgan Rielly would have sent a ripple through a group that still leans heavily on him in important situations.
What made the possibility worth watching was Anaheims cap picture, which changed after the Leo Carlsson offer sheet and briefly opened the door to a scenario Toronto fans probably would have had a hard time digesting. A deal never materialized, but the mere fact it could have been on the table shows how quickly one move elsewhere in the league can tug at the edges of a roster debate in Toronto. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Saw This Roster Problem Coming Long Before This Summer
Two years ago, the Maple Leafs were already kicking tires on help for the same sort of roster gaps that have lingered into this summer. According to Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette, Toronto had interest in Canadiens players Arber Xhekaj and Sean Monahan, a sign the club recognized it needed a different blend of size, edge and stability long before the current front office reshaped the roster.
Monahan eventually landed with the Columbus Blue Jackets after being traded in February 2024, while Toronto went in another direction and added other pieces to cover similar needs after a management change. The bigger takeaway is how early the Leafs identified the problem, even if the solutions they ultimately chose came from elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]