Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Pyramid – Start of 2026-27 – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

It has been two full seasons since the last time we looked into the Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect pyramid, back before the 2024-25 season. Having moved on from some of the veterans on the squad, the young core has become younger for the Maple Leafs with a number of players waiting in the wind for their opportunity with the big club.

Prior to the 2026 NHL Draft, things were looking a little bleak in the Maple Leafs’ prospect pool. That said, a first overall pick and some trades by John Chayka quickly turned around an organizational cupboard that was on the brink of being close to empty.

The obvious addition of Gavin McKenna changed the outlook of the organization. But their pool seems much deeper than it did just months ago and we’re here to break down tiers of Maple Leafs prospects within the organization.

Defining a Prospect

For this prospect pyramid, players will qualify as prospects if they have been drafted or acquired by the Maple Leafs, under the age of 25 and have yet to play a full NHL season. This players could be playing in other professional leagues around the world or still qualify for leagues like the NCAA and other junior leagues.

As for goaltenders, like Artur Akhtyamov, if they’ve played under 50 NHL games and remain under the age of 25, they will also qualify for this prospect pyramid – tiered appropriately.

Pyramid Tiers

For those unfamiliar with the prospect pyramid, it’s a way to evaluate a team’s prospect pool without going one by one. Instead, the players are placed in tiered groups where it allows us to focus on their possible overall ceiling rather than ranking them on a top-20 type of list. In saying that, players can climb and fall in these types of pyramid rankings the same way they could in regular rankings, the difference being that differed opinions won’t necessarily move them from one tier to the other.

These tiers are created to evaluate the overall likelihood that a player will develop into a full-time NHL player or a career injury fill-in with the big club. With that in mind, here’s a look at how these levels break down.

Tier 1 – Elite or top-line, top-pair talent

Tier 2 – Top-six forward, top-four defender, starting goaltender

Tier 3 – Third-line forward, bottom-pair defender, backup goaltender

Tier 4 – Role players, bottom-line forward, depth defenceman or forward

Tier 5 – Minor league player used for call-ups

Tier 1

Elite or Top-Line, Top-Pair Talent

For the first time in a decade, the Maple Leafs have a tier-one player in their organization. A surprising first overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft and the team, of course, drafted McKenna with the pick. Of course, these types of players don’t come around every day, but McKenna is much different from what the Maple Leafs have seen as of late – at least on paper.

From the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers to Penn State in the NCAA, McKenna’s numbers jump out. He had 94 goals and 295 points in 168 games over those four seasons. Naturally, his talent was obvious. His skill set him apart. That’s why, for the first time since 2016, the Maple Leafs have a prospect atop the pyramid in tier one heading into the 2026-27 season.

Tier 2

Top-Six Forward, Top-Four Defender, Starting Goaltender

It would be crazy not to include Artur Akhtyamov in this group this time around. After all, he put together an incredible run for the Calder Cup playoffs with the Toronto Marlies last season and, as such, has fans excited to see how he develops as the likely starter this season in the AHL.

Another player that should be considered a second-tier prospect for the Maple Leafs is defenceman Ben Danford. A right-handed defender, Danford is already in the conversation of a potential player that we could see in a Maple Leafs uniform this coming season.

Danford also won the Calder Cup with the Marlies after closing out his OHL season with the Brantford Bulldogs, playing for Canada at the U20 World Junior tournament and being a force physically at every level he suited up for in 2025-26. Now, he will likely start the season with the Marlies and be a major piece for them on the back end, but Danford is definitely a piece the Maple Leafs will want to see develop into a potential top-pairing defenceman.

This tier also includes Tinus Luc Koblar.

Tier 3

Third-Line Forward, Bottom-Pair Defender, Back-Up Goaltender

This next tier of prospect can be a little more murky. We can try to assess some of what these players offer the organization, but they are either too new to the prospect pool or they haven’t had enough time to develop properly. That said, the Maple Leafs have a number of prospects that – for now – would fall into this category.

For starters, Miroslav Holinka is a player that the team will keep a closer eye on this season. Holinka, 20, was drafted in the fifth round in 2024 and has seen some strong development since joining the organization. He had 37 goals and 80 points in 59 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings last season and had a single point in his only game with the Marlies. He’s a player that has seen a steady progression over the last two seasons, something the team will take note of.

Ethan MacKenzie is another player the Chayka and the Maple Leafs will keep a close eye on this season as he makes his way to the NCAA with the University of North Dakota. Only drafted in 2026, MacKenzie is another defensive prospect that comes with a lot of offensive upside, having tallied 22 goals and 58 points in 59 games for the Oil Kings last season. Once again, he’s a player who represented Canada at the U20 World Junior Championship in 2025-26.

This tier also includes Zach Olsen, Alexander Bilecki, Harry Nansi, William Villeneuve and Alexander Plesovskikh.

Tier 4

Role Players, Bottom-Line Forward, Depth Defenceman or Forward

Every team needs its role players – prospects that understand the team’s need for their type of game and find a way to inject it into the organization. Take Landon Sim for example. He’s climbed the ranks from the OHL to the ECHL and ended the season in the AHL with the Marlies.

He finished his final OHL season with 53 points in 54 regular season games with the London Knights in 2024-25. Since then, his offensive numbers have dropped off, but his ability to engage and enrage the opposition has made him a valuable role player for the Cincinnati Cyclones and the Marlies. It’s been said before that if Sim can somehow find his way onto the Maple Leafs roster, the crowd will get on his side early and make him a fan favourite in Toronto.

Another player that comes with that mean streak that has potential to one-day crack the big club is Yaroslav Fedoseyev. Like Sim, he engages and plays physically which might be just what the Maple Leafs need to stir the pot in a tough Atlantic Division for years to come.

This tier also includes Sam McCue, Noah Chadwick, Jacob Quillan, Borya Valis, Timofei Obvintsev and Juuso Ainasto.

Tier 5

Minor-League Players Use for Call-Ups

Finally, keep in mind that things can change for these prospects quickly. However, these players haven’t had that step yet that puts them above the bottom tier in this pyramid. For example, where there was some excitement around Victor Johansson a couple of seasons ago, the development has stalled slightly. Could he still make a push up the ladder? Maybe. But Johansson, for now, seems like a player that is destined to be an afterthought when it comes to Maple Leafs’ drafting.

Cade Webber is another player that seems to have flatlined in his development. At 25, his season was littered with injuries and inconsistencies last season which didn’t help his overall growth. As such other players have jumped him on the organizational depth chart. But, never say never.

This tier also includes Brandon Buhr and Ryan Tverberg.

While it’s not a perfect system, this tiered analysis of prospects allows others for to get involved in the conversation on where prospects are in their development and where they might belong. While some – like McKenna – will be making the big club to kick off the 2026-27 season, others will have to continue their growth and development to climb the pyramid for their shot with the Maple Leafs.