The Toronto Maple Leafs have invited sensational young goaltender Austin Elliott to training camp. Elliott just backstopped the London Knights of theOHL to a Memorial Cup victory. Back in March, I wrote about how the Leafs should pursue Elliott to add to their goaltending depth for the future. Elliott is not an unknown to the Leafs. He participated in their 2023 development camp and noted that it was super cool and an experience he will never forget.
Elliott grew up as a fan of the Maple Leafs and would likely not hesitate to sign a contract with them should they offer him one after training camp. He is committed to UMass-Lowell in the NCAA for the 2025-26 season. However, that shouldn't stop the Leafs from signing the 21-year-old to a deal if they like what they see during training camp. After dominating the OHL as a 20-year-old, Elliott will look to take that next step and try to prove himself at the NCAA level.
The Leafs have Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz signed for the 2025-26 season, meaning Elliott wouldn't be competing for a job in the Leafs net until the 2026-27 season. Elliott went 32-1-0 for the Knights this season in 33 games. He registered a 2.10 GAA and a 0.924 SV% with three shutouts. During the 2025 OHL playoffs, Elliott posted a 16-1-0 record in 17 games with a 2.46 GAA and a .906 SV%. As for the Memorial Cup itself, Elliott went 4-1 in five games while posting a 1.59 GAA and a .943 SV%. Everything went his way this season, and he capped off his junior career with a championship win.
It's hard to imagine that Elliott went undrafted, but it's not uncommon for goaltenders to be late bloomers. The Leafs do have a crop of young goaltenders in their system already, with Dennis Hildeby (2025 RFA), Artur Akhtyamov (2026 RFA), and Vyacheslav Peksa (2026 RFA). Adding another young goaltender to the Leafs prospect cupboard wouldn't be a bad idea for Leafs GM Brad Treliving to consider. A team can never have enough depth, especially at the goaltending position.
Having Elliott in the Leafs system would make it easier for Brad Treliving to trade any of his other goaltenders should a trade present itself. Every team is only allowed to carry a max of 50 standard contracts, and the Leafs currently have 32, so there's plenty of room to add Elliott. He has a bright future ahead of him, and I hope it includes the Leafs.