With the Toronto Maple Leafs playoff hopes for the 2025-26 season all but finished, they will likely just play out the remainder of the regular season in preparation for what should be an eventful upcoming offseason. But rather than to just engage in meaningless games down the stretch, this could be a unique opportunity for the Leafs to see what valuable assets that they have in their system that could be key contributors going forward.
As a result, it would make total sense for the Maple Leafs to bring up a few prospects between now and the end of the season to see what they can provide at the NHL level. Here, we will take a look at 3 Leafs top prospects that could get the call before the year is over for Toronto.
F Luke Haymes
Perhaps not a household name compared to some of the other top prospects in the Maple Leafs system, Luke Haymes has put together a solid first year with the Marlies this season. Signed to a two-year contract that runs through the 2026-27 season, the 22-year-old center is currently third in goals with 14 and seventh in team scoring with 24 points.
Haymes had been building upon his strong first impression that he made with the Marlies the previous season when he recorded two goals and six points in just nine games played to finish out the 2024-25 year after joining the organization following the completion of his college tenure. His goal-scoring ability should be welcomed by the Leafs, who haven’t scored more than three goals in any game since the Olympic break.
D William Villeneuve
William Villeneuve may have seen a bit of regression in his offensive game this year with the Marlies, after recording a whopping 40 points in 55 games played last season. Nevertheless, he is still the top point getter for defenders on the team to date, with three goals and 20 points in 48 total games. However, his sacrifice in offense enabled him to develop and grow his defensive game a little more, with hopes to make it to the big show as a well-rounded overall defenseman.
Villeneuve was actually called up earlier by the Leafs during the Olympic break but never saw any action before he was sent back down again. But with over a month remaining in the schedule, he could get his chance once again in the coming weeks.
D Noah Chadwick
Finally, as perhaps the Leafs most highly-ranked prospect currently playing with the Marlies, Noah Chadwick has put together a solid rookie season with the club in 2025-26. Although Villeneuve was running away with things earlier in the year, Chadwick has closed in steadily over the course of the season, registering four goals, 14 assists and 18 points in 53 games played. As a late sixth-round pick by the Maple Leafs in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Chadwick has blossomed quite nicely so far, resulting in his top five ranking in the Leafs prospect system across various outlets.
At just 20 years old, it may still be early for Toronto to give him a taste of the NHL so soon. But with the season all but over, maybe they should get a feel on Chadwick’s value so that they don’t make a similar mistake as to when they traded Sean Durzi back in the deal for Jake Muzzin without having seen Durzi’s abilities in the NHL prior to the move. Durzi, of course, has since developed into a solid top-four defenseman in the league.