The Maple Leafs’ prospect pool got a little more interesting after the 2026 NHL Draft, and the names worth tracking are starting to come into focus. With Gavin McKenna likely headed to the NHL in 2026-27, Toronto has a few other young players who deserve a closer look as the next wave starts pushing forward.
At the top of that watch list is Artur Akhtyamov, whose stock took a real jump after his run with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. He helped guide them to a Calder Cup championship and was named playoff MVP after posting a .923 save percentage, a 2.22 goals against average and two shutouts in 22 postseason games.
For a goalie listed on the smaller side by today’s standards, Akhtyamov stands out because of how well he moves post-to-post. That athleticism gives him a different kind of upside, and Toronto’s decision to bring in Sergei Bobrovsky gives him the runway to spend a full season as the Marlies’ No. 1 in 2026-27.
It’s still early to pin the “goalie of the future” label on him, but there’s more reason now to believe his ceiling is higher than it looked a year ago. The Maple Leafs also have him under contract through 2029, which gives the organization time to see exactly what they have. As the Marlies try to defend their title, Akhtyamov is going to be one of the most closely watched players in the system.
Landon Sim is a different kind of prospect, but he fills a need the organization clearly values. Toronto gave him a two-year entry-level contract that begins with the 2026-27 season, and he brings a physical, energetic style that the Maple Leafs don’t exactly have in abundance. He plays with bite, he can help on the penalty kill, and in the right matchup he could be a sneaky call-up option, especially against teams like the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
There’s also more offense in his game than the “role player” label might suggest. Sim scored 30 goals and finished with 53 points in 54 games for the London Knights in 2024-25.
His production hasn’t been the same with the Marlies and the Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL, but he still managed to put up five goals and nine points in 31 combined games last season. He added three points in the Marlies’ Calder Cup run, and he brings a track record of winning, with two OHL championships, a Memorial Cup and now a Calder Cup on his résumé.
With a real chance to develop as a pro this year, he’s the kind of player the organization will keep tabs on all season.
Then there’s Tinus Luc Koblar, who has already forced his way into the conversation. His play against men in the SHL as an 18-year-old turned heads, and then he went to the 2026 World Championship and made an even louder statement. Koblar scored six goals and nine points in 10 games, helped Norway win its first-ever medal at the tournament, and finished top-10 in points while leading his country to bronze.
That performance only added to the buzz around him. Koblar has size, skill and a style that plays hard on the forecheck.
He isn’t shy about getting physical or skating on the edge, and his work away from the puck only boosts the appeal. This season is a big one for his development, and if he keeps climbing, he could be on track for NHL time in the next couple of years.
With McKenna expected to join the NHL roster this season, Koblar remains one of the top three prospects in the organization, and there will be plenty of eyes on him.
In Other News...
Bobrovsky Could End The Leafs Goalie Problem They Keep Reliving
Sergei Bobrovsky arrives in Toronto with the kind of resume the Maple Leafs have spent years searching for in goal. He has long carried a starters workload, and the plan now is clear enough: share the crease with Anthony Stolarz while bringing a steadier rhythm to a position that has too often been managed in pieces rather than settled by one reliable presence.
Stolarz brings useful experience as a backup and has typically handled a lighter load, but the real appeal here is the chance to keep the Leafs from cycling through multiple goaltenders over the course of the season. If Bobrovsky can give them the stability they have lacked, it could change the daily conversation around the net and let the rest of the roster build around a more consistent starting point. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs May Be Running Out Of Easy Options With William Villeneuve
William Villeneuve has put himself in an awkward but encouraging spot for the Maple Leafs. After a three-game NHL look last season, the young defenseman went back to the Marlies and became part of their Calder Cup run, then followed that up with a strong AHL campaign that included 30 points in 61 regular-season games and 23 more in 24 playoff games. For a prospect still trying to carve out a place in a crowded organization, that kind of production only sharpens the question of what comes next.
The problem for Toronto is that the road to more NHL time is not as simple as sending him up and down to see how he handles it. Roster limitations and waiver eligibility now hang over every decision involving Villeneuve, which means the Maple Leafs may have to choose between keeping him around the big club or risking a move that could expose him elsewhere. For a team that likes the player and needs to keep building depth on the back end, the margin for error is getting smaller. [Read more 🡒]
Auston Matthews Looms Over A Crucial Maple Leafs Balancing Act
The Maple Leafs are trying to juggle two realities at once: winning with Auston Matthews in the present while still giving prospects like goaltender Patriks Plumins the runway they need for the future. That balance has become a familiar stress point for Toronto, where every development move is viewed through the lens of whether it helps the team now without compromising what comes next.
Matthews remains the center of the whole operation, since his future in Toronto will hinge not just on what he produces, but on how strongly he believes in the direction the organization is heading. At the same time, Plumins is heading to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League as part of his adjustment to North American hockey, a reminder that the Leafs are still building underneath the pressure of keeping their star core intact. [Read more 🡒]