Alexander Bilecki arrived at Maple Leafs development camp with a pretty unusual calling card: Toronto’s 60th overall pick in the 2026 Draft is also a serious baseball player who once had a real shot at going pro on the diamond.
The Leafs used that 60th pick on a smooth-skating, two-way defender fresh off a Memorial Cup win with the Kitchener Rangers. He’s the kind of blueliner Toronto can imagine fitting in a few years down the road, and he already looked comfortable at camp.
In the Blue vs. White scrimmage, his Blues group came out with a 6-4 win, and Bilecki showed strong defensive awareness throughout.
What makes him stand out even more is what he did when hockey wasn’t the only thing on his radar. During the camp, the Leafs prospects got a chance to take part in batting practice and workouts with the Toronto Blue Jays, which was a fitting setup for Bilecki. He’s been a star baseball player for years, treats it as his summer sport, and has represented Team Ontario as both a pitcher and an outfielder.
That baseball background showed up when he took a bullpen session and had teammates gathered around as he worked the radar gun. He wasn’t throwing like Roy Halladay, but getting the ball up to 80+ MPH without training specifically for it says plenty about his athleticism. He’s also a switch hitter, which only adds to the picture of a genuinely gifted two-sport athlete.
Bilecki said the choice between hockey and baseball was real, and in the end he leaned toward the rink.
“Yeah, I had a choice you know, do this or focus on the OHL. I thought I was a bit better in hockey, so I decided on that path and you know I haven't really looked back.”
Even with hockey now the full-time focus, the baseball side of his life still matters. Getting to meet the Blue Jays, talk with Ernie Clement - who was a former star hockey player before choosing baseball - and stay connected to the sport clearly meant something to him.
And there’s a reason people notice when a player comes from that kind of background. Two-sport athletes are rare, and Bilecki’s time on the diamond could still feed his game on the ice.
Baseball demands quick reactions, flexibility, dexterity and a calm mind under pressure. A pitcher has to handle tense moments with the game on the line, and that kind of poise can translate.
Bilecki chose hockey, and that choice brought him to his hometown Maple Leafs. But the baseball chapter isn’t just a fun side note. It’s part of what makes him interesting, and part of why Toronto may have more upside here than meets the eye.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Are Betting Big On One Risky Scott Laughton Fix
Scott Laughtons departure left Toronto with a familiar kind of offseason problem: a useful, versatile forward who did a lot of little things well, and no obvious one-for-one answer to replace him. Rather than chase a single clone, the Maple Leafs spread those responsibilities across a handful of new additions, betting that a deeper, more balanced group can recreate the defensive value Laughton brought while keeping the lineup flexible.
The real question is whether that patchwork solution can supply enough offense to make the tradeoff worthwhile. Toronto is counting on stronger play without the puck from the new group, but the scoring burden is uneven, with one player carrying most of the upside and the others projecting more as limited finishers. It is a reasonable plan on paper, but it also leaves the Leafs waiting to see whether committee chemistry can cover for the missing individual spark. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Face A Brutal Max Domi Cap Dilemma
Max Domis injury has put the Maple Leafs in an awkward spot before camp, with the club weighing whether to park him on long-term injured reserve for temporary salary-cap relief or explore a more permanent solution. LTIR would help Toronto get through the short term, but it also comes with a catch if Domi is able to return later, while a trade would clear the books more cleanly and give the team a better sense of where it stands.
The problem is that moving him is not simple, especially for a team already trying to squeeze every dollar out of its roster plan. Any deal would likely come at a cost, and Toronto would have to decide whether the price of doing business is worth the cap flexibility it gains. For a club that has spent plenty of time living on the margin, this is the kind of decision that can shape more than just the opening weeks of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Another No. 1 Pick Just Sent A Message To Gavin McKenna
Matthew Schaefer has only just finished his own ascent to the top of the draft board, but he is already offering a bit of perspective to the next player in line. The 2025 No. 1 overall pick and Calder Trophy winner recently spoke to Gavin McKenna as the 2026 No. 1 pick gets ready for his first NHL season, urging him to enjoy the moment, stay confident and keep developing with the teammates and coaches around him.
For Toronto fans, there is an added layer to the conversation, since McKennas arrival carries the weight that comes with playing in his hometown hockey market. Schaefers message was simple enough, but the timing makes it more interesting: the two top picks are set to see each other early in the season, giving both young stars a quick chance to measure where they stand and how far they still have to go. [Read more 🡒]