A few weeks after being drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/2025-nhl-draft-maple-leafs-use-64th-pick-to-select-norwegian-tinus-luc-koblar], Tinus Luc Koblar is soaking up his time in the city. The 17-year-old forward was one of 48 players at Toronto's development camp this week, skating as the team's highest selection (second-round, 64th overall) in this year's draft. Almost immediately after stepping onto the ice, Koblar's size and skating appeared comparable [https://x.com/nickbarden/status/1940790144145281321] to that of former Maple Leaf Pierre Engvall. Koblar calls himself a two-way center and playmaker [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omd8s_OMtKg&pp=ygUbdGludXMgbHVjIGtvYmxhciBoaWdobGlnaHRz], who is effective at both ends of the rink. Despite this being a development camp with many larger players this year, Koblar's 6-foot-3 frame appears evident against others at the camp. "Tinus is a strong player with good size," said Leksands IF junior manager Jesper Ollas. "He is strong on the puck and can create situations based on that, both for himself and for others... He reads the game well and has developed his defensive qualities very well during the past year when he started playing center." One of the knocks about Koblar's game is his speed within smaller areas of the rink. He's a physically imposing player, but when the forward needs to beat his opponent to the puck, he's often a bit behind. Koblar understands that that part of his game needs to improve, though. He revealed on Thursday [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oHI3rsXP_I&t=239s] that he plans to work on getting stronger and more explosive this summer ahead of another season with Leksands IF in Sweden. "He picks up good speed on longer distances," Ollas added, "but his challenges are to be faster and quicker in small areas." Aside from the physical attributes that Koblar possesses, you can immediately see how much of a competitor he is. Never does he quit on a drill, nor does the forward not give 100 percent, even when it comes to his off-ice work, too. "His absolute strength is his mindset," Ollas said. "He competes in every situation and always wants to be the best, whether it is on or off the ice." 'What's This Horse About?': Maple Leafs Prospects React To Having Wild Colt At Development Camp [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/a84a4ebb-3798-4582-b4e1-c4790cfe5f5e.webp] 'What's This Horse About?': Maple Leafs Prospects React To Having Wild Colt At Development Camp The Toronto Maple Leafs prospects didn't know what they were getting themselves into <a href="https://x.com/MapleLeafs/status/1941197349856084321">when they rolled into Exhibition Place</a> on Friday morning. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/what-s-this-horse-about-maple-leafs-prospects-react-to-having-wild-colt-at-development-camp] Victor Johansson, a teammate of Koblar's in Sweden, who was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, was ecstatic when he watched Koblar's name pop up on the TV when Torotno was picking. "Just that he gets drafted to the same place as me was just hilarious. I love it. I started to scream when he got drafted here because I got so happy," Johansson said, with a smile so large you couldn't wipe it off his face [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ch3b0d5UTE]. Johansson and Koblar had just finished an on-ice session. After the entire group finished up on the ice, the two Leksands teammates stayed on, feeding pucks back and forth [https://x.com/markhmasters/status/1941260148389159261] before slamming them into a net. "Do you want us to get off?" Koblar asked with a smile to one of the arena staff who was standing behind the glass, waiting to zamboni the ice. 'I Saw My Name And I Was Going Crazy': Maple Leafs Prospect Rylan Fellinger Describes Getting Drafted Into The NHL While Attending Prom [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/b8c5c158-10c9-4545-9e14-3e6fd6e81bd2.webp] 'I Saw My Name And I Was Going Crazy': Maple Leafs Prospect Rylan Fellinger Describes Getting Drafted Into The NHL While Attending Prom Rylan Fellinger, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ sixth-round selection (185th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft, had a quite unique draft experience: he wasn't at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles when his name was called. Instead, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound defenseman was in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, attending his high school prom. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/i-saw-my-name-and-i-was-going-crazy-maple-leafs-prospect-rylan-fellinger-describes-getting-drafted-into-the-nhl-while-attending-prom] The two are great teammates and get along quite well off the ice too. "I thought I was going to be the only Swede here, couldn't talk Swedish, so I was like, 'Yeah, you guys (the Leafs) want to draft Tinus, yeah?'" Johansson grinned. "And then it happened, so really happy and how he is as a teammate is, great guy overall, very competitive, and a really good hockey player." When Johansson watches Koblar on the ice or battles him in practices in Sweden, what immediately catches his eye is his smoothness as a skater. "To be that tall and to go around guys like he does, you can't find that in everyone." There's a lot to like about the Maple Leafs drafting someone like Koblar. If he develops, the towering forward could be the perfect player Toronto took a chance on in the second round of the 2025 Draft. It will take time, though. 'Time Will Tell': Is Maple Leafs Prospect Easton Cowan Ready For The NHL Next Season? [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/a75d055f-96ff-433b-beff-17a1eed28cad.webp] 'Time Will Tell': Is Maple Leafs Prospect Easton Cowan Ready For The NHL Next Season? One year ago, it was only the NHL or OHL for <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/he-meant-a-lot-to-me-easton-cowan-on-mitch-marner-leaving-maple-leafs-for-golden-knights">Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan</a>. However, now, it'll be NHL or AHL for the 20-year-old. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/time-will-tell-is-maple-leafs-prospect-easton-cowan-ready-for-the-nhl-next-season] Koblar is going to return to Sweden and play another season there [https://x.com/nickbarden/status/1940820809230233830] rather than coming over to North America, where his CHL rights belong to the OHL's Brampton Steelheads. There's no sense of rushing the player into anything, especially when he's still not even 18 (his birthday is on July 21). "It's a great community and the levels, like J-18, J-20, and the A team, it's really super close, so it's not that hard to go between them," Koblar said of his choice to remain in Sweden. "The trainers and the staff is always helping you to develop and they just want you to be at your best." With two Olympian parents—his mom a biathlete and his dad an alpine skier [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6459905/2025/06/29/maple-leafs-tinus-luc-koblar-prospect-nhl-draft/]—there's a lot of competitiveness in his genes. Koblar doesn't like losing as much as anyone, adding that his parents have taught him a lot about being a high-competition athlete. That could turn into a massive positive for Toronto in the long run. "[They taught me] just the importance of putting in the work and don't take any chances for granted, and do 100 percent every time." (Top photo: Nick Barden / The Hockey News Toronto)
