The Toronto Maple Leafs' first selection of the 2025 NHL Draft is at 64th overall, the very last pick of the second round. But, that doesn't mean that they can't get an impactful prospect and maybe the best option is from right down the street.
Niagara IceDogs centerman Ethan Czata, from Brampton, Ont., is an all-around talent that has quickly found himself rooted in the second or third round of most mock drafts at this time of year. He is more skilled defensively than offensively, and appears to be just one of those forwards who are annoying to play against for junior players.
Despite not scoring a whole bunch -- Czata scored 21 goals and 55 points in 68 games for a very bad IceDogs team this season -- his offense could eventually explode by how all-around his impact is on a game.
In the Elite Prospects 2025 Draft Guide, they explain just how crucial Czata's play was to Niagara having any chance and what he can bring to the table every night.
"Positioning effectively and moving with a high level of patience and anticipation, Czata picks up his check early and influences opposing plays, removing options from carriers and switching to bigger threats as they appeared. Defending on the puck, he shadows opponents, reduces their space, and engages them when they skate into a dead-end, displaying a projectable level of physicality.
Czata controlled the opposition and limited scoring chances, an impressive feat on a defensively-challenged Niagara IceDogs, which finished with the league’s worst goals against total. While defence was the constant in Czata’s game this season, it’s his playmaking and off-puck offensive skills that had us come back to his tape. Given space and numerical advantages, he orchestrated quick, clever, and deceptive passing plays, capitalizing on opposing mistakes and creating more than his share of scoring chances."
If you don't think the Maple Leafs could use a player like that, then I don't know what to tell you.
Czata would essentially replace everything Fraser Minten was supposedly going to bring to this team, but possibly even more. He is a physical, 6-foot-1 center that is good at everything but could use just a little bit more work on his skating, which could be done easily. It might not be the most high-ceiling approach to the draft, but for Toronto, getting someone who could be a middle-six center if everything pans out, is more than enough.
He's a name to look out for this Saturday, for sure.