Maple Leafs' NHL Prospect Roundup: Getting A Feel For 2026-27

We're just about reaching the two-week mark of the NHL regular season, and in this market, all eyes are on the Toronto Maple Leafs' start to the season. 

In the weeds of the organization are the prospects of the franchise, playing in all different parts of the world and at different levels. So we're making this a weekly stop for viewers to get an update on how the prospects in the Maple Leafs' system are doing.

This series will include regular updates from Toronto's top prospects, using our off-season prospects ranking as a soft guide.

Majority of statistics come from Elite Prospects.

Victor Johansson, selected by the Maple Leafs with the 120th pick in the 2024 draft, has yet to make an appearance this season with Brynas in the SHL.

The 20-year-old defenseman sits on the outside of the depth chart, with blueliners such as Robert Hagg, Christian Djoos, and others who stand ahead of him. Eight defensemen have featured in Brynas' eight games in the regular season to this point.

Last year, Johansson played 10 SHL games with Leksands, recording three assists. The majority of that 2025-26 season was spent in Allsvenskan, Sweden's second division, playing 22 games for Oskarshamn, scoring a goal and 10 points.

Mans Gudmundsson, one of Toronto's four third-round picks in the 2026 draft, has been able to get into the regular rotation of defensemen, despite being just 18 years old.

He's featured in seven of eight Farjestad contests so far. Gudmundsson hasn't registered a point yet, but he's been a piece of the SHL's leading team, with seven wins and an overtime loss. Given Gudmundsson's age, his team being very successful early on is a good sign.

Tinus Luc Koblar, the top prospect in the Maple Leafs' system outside of Gavin McKenna, is off to a good start in his second SHL campaign.

After scoring eight goals and 14 points in 47 games with Leksands last year, Koblar has three assists in four games for Rogle.

The 19-year-old center didn't have the greatest training camp with Toronto, given that it was one of his earliest experiences playing in North America. But there are signs of a good player, with his SHL production so far this year and his impressive World Championship campaign for Norway in the summer.

Yaroslav Fedoseyev, drafted by the Maple Leafs this past year in the sixth round with the 161st pick, has featured in all of Chelyabinsk's 13 KHL outings so far this season.

In those 13 appearances, the 18-year-old has recorded one assist and a minus-six rating for the team that is last in the Eastern Conference with a 3-8-2-0 record. In the MHL last year, Russia's Jr. league, Fedoseyev scored two goals and 13 points in 24 regular-season games.

Alexander Plesovskikh is off to another great start in the MHL after producing 27 goals and 51 points in 53 games last season with Spartak Moscow Jr., reaching the finals of the MHL playoffs but falling short to Loko Yaroslavl Jr.

So far in 2026-27, the 20-year-old has averaged a point per game, notching four goals and 11 points in 11 contests. Plesovskikh was drafted by the Maple Leafs in 2024 in the fifth round with the 152nd pick.

William Belle's start to this campaign is already miles better than how he performed in the NCAA last season.

Drafted in the fifth round in 2025 at 137th overall, Belle only registered one goal and four points in 34 games as a right winger last year. But this year, the 19-year-old has contributed a goal and an assist in the first two games, which is an encouraging sign of growth.

Ethan MacKenzie was an older draft pick at 20 years old and was selected with the 69th pick of the third round in this past draft. However, his contributions at the 2026 World Junior Championship for Canada and his numbers in the WHL warrant the opportunity to be drafted and developed.

So far in his freshman year with the NCAA's University of North Dakota, MacKenzie has provided an assist in the team's two wins to start the season.

Zach Olsen, one of the four third-rounders from the 2026 draft (selected 73rd overall), is in his freshman year with Colorado College in the NCAA.

In two games, he hasn't gotten his name on the scoresheet, but has recorded two penalty minutes and a plus-one rating. The 18-year-old is coming off two seasons with the WHL's Saskatoon Blades.

Among Maple Leafs prospects this season, Cooper Williams has been the most impressive in terms of his ability to score. In seven games for the Saskatoon Blades, the 18-year-old has scored four goals and 12 points to start the campaign. That puts him on pace to record 39 goals and 117 points if he keeps up this pace.

He's tied for the team lead in scoring, tied for third in WHL scoring, and tied for second among the league's assist leaders with eight.

Williams was a fifth-round pick by Toronto in this past draft, taking the center with the 158th overall pick. That selection is proving to be great value based on early impressions.

Bordy Pepoy, selected in the sixth round of the 2026 draft by the Leafs with the 169th pick, is in his second season with the OHL's Saginaw Spirit. Last year, he scored 16 goals and 29 points.

In 2026-27 so far, the 18-year-old has put up three goals and six points in seven contests. He's tied for third in scoring on Saginaw's roster.

Harry Nansi, one of the enticing prospects in Toronto's system, has kicked off his fourth season in the OHL with the Owen Sound Attack. The 19-year-old was drafted by Toronto in 2025 with the 153rd pick in the fifth round.

The right winger has scored two goals and four points in six OHL games so far. He'll be looking to improve on his 13 goals and 56 points from last season with the Attack and wedge his way into a higher tier of Maple Leafs prospects.

Tyler Hopkins has had a phenomenal start with the Guelph Storm in what is his fourth season in the OHL. In six games, he's scored five goals and six assists for 11 points, making him second on the team in scoring and tied for 12th in the league.

Drafted 86th overall in the third round in 2025 by Toronto, the 19-year-old is on his way to his best season at the Jr. level. Last year, he posted 25 goals and 50 points in 56 games split between the Storm and Kingston Frontenacs.

After winning the Memorial Cup last season, Alexander Bilecki will have plenty more responsibility on the Kitchener Rangers' back end. The 18-year-old is underway in his third OHL season and has started on the right foot.

Bilecki, selected 60th overall in the second round last year, has seven assists in the first eight games of the year. He's tied for third on the team in scoring and tied for sixth in the league in scoring among defensemen.

Juuso Ainasto, selected 85th overall in the third round of the 2026 draft, is off to a decent start to his campaign.

Ainasto, 18, plays for Jukurit in the Jr. ranks of Finland. He's played six games so far and posted a 3-3-0 record, while registering a .907 save percentage and a 2.49 goals-against average. Among goaltenders in his league to make at least four appearances, Ainasto's SP ranks sixth.

Patriks Plumins, taken in this past draft with the 114th pick in the fourth round, has made three appearances so far this season for the QMJHL's Chicoutimi Sagueneens.

It hasn't been smooth sailing for the Latvian goaltender so far in his first season in North America. In those first three games, the 18-year-old has recorded a .803 SP and a 5.43 GAA. All three appearances were starts, and he's allowed four goals in each of those outings.

His last game on Sunday ended with him being pulled after 19:06 of ice time after allowing four goals on 12 shots to the Quebec Remparts.

The Toronto Marlies are off to a good start in the AHL, with a 3-1-0 record in their first four games of the season. They lost their first game of the season to the Rochester Americans, but since then have been on a three-game winning streak, beating the Hamilton Hammers in all three, including Hamilton's first two home games in the franchise's history. With that, Toronto is third in the Division.

In terms of individual performers, veteran Logan Shaw is tied for the league lead in scoring with one goal and eight points. Just behind him is Brendan Brisson, joining the Maple Leafs' organization in the off-season, signing a one-year deal. Brisson has five goals and seven points, tied for second in the league in goals and points.

Looking at some of the team's younger, core players, 23-year-old center Luke Haymes has four points in as many games. Also, 21-year-old defenseman Noah Chadwick and 24-year-old right winger Ryan Tverberg have two points each. Center Jacob Quillan, surprisingly, is still waiting for his point of the year after scoring 14 goals and 36 points in 40 games last season.

With Toronto's American League rookies, left winger Landon Sim and defensemen Vinny Borgesi and Ben Danford each have one point to start the year. Miroslav Holinka is yet to find the scoresheet with two games played.

Goaltenders Artur Akhtyamov and Samuel Hlavaj have both made a pair of appearances each. Hlavaj's numbers are slightly better than Akhtyamov's, as the Slovakian posted a 2.58 GAA and an .886 SP. Akhtyamov has registered an .881 SP with a 3.36 GAA.

See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.