Juuso Ainasto already has a foothold in Finland’s World Juniors picture, and that alone says plenty about where the Maple Leafs’ 2026 fourth-round pick stands heading into the winter.
The Athletic included Ainasto as an extra on its projected Finnish roster for December’s tournament, placing him just outside the group that features names like Oliver Suivanto, Max Westergard and Oscar Hemming. In goal, Finland’s projection includes Patrik Kerkola and Jester Rossi, with Kerkola expected to handle the starter’s job and Ainasto sitting on the outside looking in for now.
That still gives Toronto an early read on the 18-year-old netminder, who was taken 85th overall after time with Jokerit’s U18 and U20 teams. His junior numbers were strong at the U18 level, where he posted an 8-3-0 record with a 1.74 GAA and .938 SV%, though things were less clean with the U20 group, where he finished 6-7-0 with a 3.28 GAA and .892 SV%. In three international appearances, he had a 3.99 GAA and .896 SV%.
The stat line doesn’t tell the whole story, though. Ainasto’s appeal is rooted in the tools: quick feet, sharp angle control, and strong lateral movement from post to post. Elite Prospects put it plainly in its 2026 Draft Guide:
Side-to-side, he's able to zip across-crease with ease and speed, beating pucks on his pushes alone, and he's also able to recover quickly from his extensions and get back into a ready stance.
Kerkola brings more of the established résumé. The 19-year-old spent 2025-26 with four clubs - KalPa U20, KalPa, IPK and Sport - and has held Finland’s No. 3 goaltender spot for the last three seasons. Rossi, meanwhile, also comes in with more international experience than Ainasto, which may help explain why The Athletic listed the Maple Leafs prospect as an extra rather than a lock.
Ainasto did already make Finland’s Summer Showcase team, so he’s clearly in the mix. He also has four months to shift the conversation before the World Juniors arrive.
Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis praised the goalie’s quickness and said scouts believe there’s upside beyond the immediate future:
Juuso Ainasto is a huge goalie. One of the fastest movers you'll find at 6-foot-4.
He has quick legs, a good glove hand and isn't afraid to punch someone. A few scouts I talked to think he could be a decent tandem goalie.
At 18, Ainasto has time working for him, and Toronto has shown patience when it comes to developing young goalies. That makes this a useful checkpoint rather than a final verdict. If he can close the gap over the next few months and look steadier than he did at the U20 level, even landing as Finland’s backup at the World Juniors would be a meaningful step.
In Other News...
Matthew Knies Deal Already Looks Better For The Leafs
Matthew Knies long-term deal with the Maple Leafs was signed with the usual mix of hope and risk that comes with paying for upside before it has fully matured. Toronto committed six years at a $7.75 million average annual value in 2025, betting that Knies would keep trending into a key top-six piece and that the price would look sensible as the salary cap and comparable contracts kept moving. At the time, it was a notable investment in a player still building his full resume.
Now the market around other young forwards is starting to make that number look even more reasonable. Cutter Gauthier, a restricted free agent with the Anaheim Ducks, is reportedly in negotiations that could land in the $15-17 million AAV range, with Leo Carlssons recent $18 million AAV extension hanging over those talks as a reference point. Knies and Gauthier are different players in different situations, but the broader takeaway for Toronto is hard to miss: a contract that once looked ambitious can start to feel sharp if the next wave of comparables keeps climbing. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Projected Lineup Puts Familiar Faces In A Tough Spot
The Maple Leafs projected 2026-27 lineup offers a snapshot of how much the roster could change after a round of organizational adjustments, with new acquisitions and coaching tweaks reshaping the teams balance up front and on the back end. The exercise is less about where Toronto is today and more about how the club might try to blend scoring punch with more reliable two-way play if the right pieces settle into place.
What makes the projection interesting for Leafs followers is the way it creates pressure points for familiar faces while opening the door for newcomers to carve out meaningful roles. Health and consistency remain part of the conversation, especially in goal, where the team is still trying to sort out how much trust to place in Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz as the position gets redefined around them. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Camp Could Get Complicated Thanks To Two Overlooked Names
Training camp usually starts with the obvious names, the players everyone assumes are already locked in or fighting for the last few spots, but Bo Groulx and Marshall Rifai are the kinds of depth pieces who can quietly make things interesting for the Maple Leafs. Groulx brought good energy and solid play with the Marlies, and he even got a brief look with Toronto last season, which at least puts him on the radar when camp opens.
Rifai is the other name worth tracking because his game is built around physicality and defense, the sort of profile that can stand out if the new coaching staff wants a different look from its bottom-end options. Neither player is a favorite to break through, and neither comes with any guarantee, but both have enough going for them to keep this camp from being as straightforward as it first appears. [Read more 🡒]