After making just one selection in each of the first and second rounds of the 2026 NHL draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs made four third-round picks.

The Maple Leafs had the 69th, 73rd, 76th and 85th pick in the third round, selecting Ethan MacKenzie, Zach Olsen, Mans Gundmundsson and Juuso Ainasto, respectively.

Of those selections, MacKenzie and Gundmundsson are defensemen, Olsen is a right winger, and Ainasto is a goaltender.

The biggest name from the bunch is MacKenzie, who played for Team Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championship, and was teammates with Toronto's first overall pick from this draft, Gavin McKenna

MacKenzie, 19, is coming off his fourth WHL season with the Edmonton Oil Kings. This past year, with an 'A' on his chest, he recorded 22 goals and 58 points in 59 games.

The 6-foot-1 defenseman finished third in scoring on his team, finishing below Maple Leafs prospect Miroslav Holinka, who scored 37 goals and 80 points in the regular season.

MacKenzie has proven to be a solid D-man on both ends of the ice, with his point totals vouching for his offense, while he also registered a plus-29 rating, third-best on the Oil Kings, this past year.

Gundmundsson is bigger than MacKenzie at 6-foot-3 and is a right-handed defenseman out of his home nation, Sweden.

The 18-year-old, labelled as a puck-mover and two-way defenseman, had an excellent season for Farjestad in Sweden's U-20 league. In 35 appearances, Gundmundsson recorded one goal and 25 points, leading defenseman in scoring on his team.

He also represented Sweden at the U-18 World Championship and registered assists for his country in seven contests. Gundmundsson also earned a plus-eight rating at this competition, tied for the best rating at the tournament along with three other players.

Olsen, a Calgary native, spent his junior hockey years in the WHL with the Saskatoon Blades. 

The 6-foot-1 right winger provided secondary scoring for the Blades, putting up 18 goals and 34 points in 57 appearances. Following that regular season, he put up an additional two goals and six points in 10 playoff games.

Olsen also represented Team Canada at the U-18 World Championship, putting away two goals in the five games he featured in.

The 18-year-old has committed to the NCAA's Colorado College for the 2026-27 campaign.

Ainasto was the first goaltender the Maple Leafs selected in this draft. They also took Latvian netminder Patriks Plumens in the fourth round.

Ainasto, a 6-foot-4 Finnish goaltender, split time this past year between the U-18 and U-20 levels with Jokerit of Finland's junior ranks.

At the U-18 level, Ainasto recorded a .938 save percentage and a 1.74 goals-against average in 12 appearances, helping that team to a championship this past season. His numbers took a hit at U-20 competition, where he posted a .892 SP and a 3.28 GAA in 14 contests.

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.