The 18-year-old center is dominating World Hockey Championship play, propelling Norway to historic heights while proving his 64th-overall draft status was far more than a long-term project.
The Toronto Maple Leafs look like they might’ve found a real player at the tail end of the second round last summer.
Tinus Luc Koblar is putting together an incredible tournament right now. The 18-year-old center is basically driving the bus for Norway, pushing them into a historic semifinal spot at the World Hockey Championship in Switzerland.
He’s spent the last couple weeks playing without much hesitation against full-time NHL talent. And then he hits another level in Thursday’s quarterfinal against Latvia, snapping a scoreless tie in the second period. That ends up being the game-winner in a 2-0 shutout, and Norway is into its first-ever final four.
Through eight games, Koblar leads the country with six goals and nine points. He’s been the engine for them, pretty clearly. Same poise he showed this winter in the SHL with Leksands IF, where he had 14 points in 47 games.
Toronto took him 64th overall in 2025, more of a long-term swing at the time. Big frame at 6-foot-3, game still a bit raw in spots. That part hasn’t really changed. What has changed is how much of it is already showing up in real time on a stage like this.
Norway hosts Switzerland on Saturday with a spot in the gold medal game on the line. Win or lose, Koblar has probably sped up the conversation around himself. And Toronto has to be watching this, thinking they’ve got something more than just a project.