After the early stages of the first round of the NHL draft, the order and projections of when players will be selected get a little looser. That would certainly be the case for the Toronto Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs] and their second-round pick, 60th overall. Several draft experts have their opinions and projections as to where certain prospects will fall. That includes The Athletic's Scott Wheeler [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7301063/2026/06/03/nhl-draft-2026-ranking-gavin-mckenna-ivar-stenberg/], who listed center Alessandro Di Iorio at 59th in his latest top-100 2026 NHL draft ranking. Furthermore, in Wheeler's May 4 edition [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7245756/2026/05/04/2026-nhl-draft-ranking-mckenna-stenberg-malhotra/] of his top-64 ranking, he had Di Iorio at 60th. Di Iorio plays for the OHL's Sarnia Sting, completing his second season with the team, and is set for a third campaign with the Sting next year. The 18-year-old Vaughan, Ont., native scored 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points this past year for Sarnia. Di Iorio played only 45 games in the OHL regular season because he suffered an elbow injury in Sarnia's pre-season. That kept him sidelined for the opening two months of the 2025-26 campaign. "He has quick crossovers and room to add muscle," Wheeler wrote. "He can play out wide, and… pick corners from mid-range with his curl-and-drag wrister and facilitate with his good feel as a passer, but he's also sneaky strong on stick lifts and willing to go to inside ice." Wheeler also noted Di Iorio's defensive instincts and willingness to block shots with the Sting, providing another element to his game as a centerman. Maple Leafs 2026 NHL Draft Pick: The Case For Matias Vanhanen [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/04568931-ad26-4dbb-b642-f5df3f4bdbd1.jpeg] Maple Leafs 2026 NHL Draft Pick: The Case For Matias Vanhanen Outside of the first overall pick that the Toronto Maple Leafs own, here is the case for Matias Vanhanen for the team's 60th overall pick at the 2026 NHL draft. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/maple-leafs-2026-nhl-draft-pick-the-case-for-matias-vanhanen] Despite all his time off and missing a total of 23 outings all year, Di Iorio finished with the seventh-most goals on the team and tied for that position on the Sting in points. He also finished third on the team in points per game at 0.69. Only forwards Easton Walos and Beckham Edwards finished with a better rate at 0.71 points per game. Di Iorio and the Sting didn't see any post-season action as Sarnia finished second last in the Western Conference and was one of the four OHL teams to miss the playoffs. They missed the playoffs in 2024-25 as well, finishing in the same position in their conference. That was Di Iorio's rookie season in the Ontario League, which saw him provide 11 goals and 27 assists for 38 points. Report: NHL Decision Gives Maple Leafs Bizarre 2027 First-Round Draft Choice Between Bruins and Flyers [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/e7e33e10-de1d-4a13-a72f-b8d796734e86.jpeg] Report: NHL Decision Gives Maple Leafs Bizarre 2027 First-Round Draft Choice Between Bruins and Flyers There's a world where if the Leafs end up winning the lottery again next year, they can decide which of Boston or Philadelphia gets to have it. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/report-nhl-decision-gives-maple-leafs-bizarre-2027-first-round-draft-choice-between-bruins-and-flyers] That was another campaign in which Di Iorio didn't play the entire 68-game season, but he featured in 58 and finished sixth on the team in scoring. He likely would've been a top-five scorer on the Sting if he had played out the entire year. Di Iorio is registered as a 6-foot center by NHL Central Scouting [https://www.nhl.com/draft/prospects]. Also, at the NHL scouting combine [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/2026-nhl-scouting-combine-results-mckenna-tops-vo2-max-aerobic-fitness-test], he finished in the top 10 in the Wingate cycle ergometer test and the left-hand grip test. See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source [https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=thehockeynews.com] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/97d67f7b-bb8f-4559-8d2b-d9658767c354.jpeg] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
