The Toronto Maple Leafs have recently focused on rebuilding their prospect pipeline. No longer are they shedding young talent or trading away draft picks for nothing in return, causing them to have nothing of a future.
There is a much more healthy balance with actually having young players outside of the NHL to be excited about, and pay attention throughout the hockey season. It's been so long since we've been able to do that and truly get excited about it.
Some names like center Tinus Luc Koblar or defenseman Ben Danford will obviously be closely watched by fans, but what about some more under-the-radar prospects? There are three names specifically that people should really start paying attention to and could be in for big seasons.
Harry Nansi, RW/C
Harry Nansi is all energy with a pro-level frame. A forward that, if he continues a certain trajectory, every single playoff team would love to have in their depth as a scoring threat down low.
The 2025 fifth-round pick doesn't turn 19 years old until a week from now and already has three full OHL seasons under his belt with the Owen Sound Attack. Last year was his breakout season, scoring 13 goals and 56 points in 67 games, but he could be in for something massive. He's at the top of the Attack lineup and is causing havoc with fellow prospect Pierce Mbuyi, which could be one of the best pairings in the league.
In his final junior year, it would be smart to look out for just how much more explosive he can get and maybe, if he can reach a scoring rate near the top of the league. Otherwise, he's a 6-foot-4, 201-pound teenager who feels like an incredibly intriguing project.
Zac Olsen, RW
Zac Olsen was declared a solid pick by the Leafs the second after they made the call in the third round of the 2026 NHL Draft. A wrecking ball of a forechecker for the WHL's Saskatoon Blades, Olsen was heralded for his smarts as well as his speed.
The interesting story following Olsen is that the Blades expected him back in the WHL this upcoming season but instead, he spurned them and decided to commit to the NCAA's Colorado College for next season. Olsen did score just 18 goals and 34 points in 57 games in the WHL last year, so he's not some hotshot offensive player. It will be incredibly interesting to see if he can adapt well to the college level. If he does, then it's just another solid depth prospect that the Leafs will have grown from scratch.
He might have jumped in the deep end a little too early and could come back to the WHL soon enough. It will be a story to keep an eye on no matter what.
Mans Gudmundsson, RD
The big Swede on the back end. Mans Gudmundsson was the Leafs' third-round draft pick just last June and while having just turned 18 years old, he could compete to have a regular spot on the SHL's Farjestad BK's blue line.
If he's able to pull it off and as a teenager already be getting in pro-level games in one of the best leagues in the world, then it's a monumental step in development for the 6-foot-3 defenseman.
He has the reputation as more of a two-way force, where he can use his size to his advantage but he's certainly not a slouch offensively. In 35 games for Farjestad's U20 Nationell squad, he scored one goal and 25 points. Not too shabby at all. He even got to make his SHL debut last March -- where he was on the ice for a total of one minute and 53 seconds.
if Gudmundsson does not make the SHL squad, perhaps he gets a loan to the second-division HockeyAllsvenskan to play for a club there, so that he doesn't have to go back to juniors. It will be an interesting story to follow and he's someone who could be really an underrated prospect for the next couple of years.
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