There are only two Toronto Maple Leafs prospect selected to attend at the 2025 World Juniors. The same situation occurred last year when only forwards Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan were chosen, both players represented Canada, with Minten being named team captain.
This year, Minten is no longer eligibile and Cowan was once again selected for the Team Canada roster. He is not alone, however. There is also the Maple Leafs fifth round selection at the 2024 NHL Draft, Miroslav Holinka who was selected for Czechia. He recently made the move to the WHL and is playing with the Edmonton Oil Kings where he is nearly a point-per-game in his debut North American season.
Both players are very deserving but the Leafs had many more candidates eligible to participate in this years World Juniors. I broke down the players who were eligible last month but there is quite a large number, including defenceman Noah Chadwick who plays in WHL and was selected to Canada's World Junior Summer Showcase roster.
In recent years the Maple Leafs have had many prospects representing their respective countries. Like, Pontus Holmberg, Matthew Knies, Rasmus Sandin, Topi Niemela, Nick Robertson Roni Hirvonen, Rodion Amirov, and more. There have also been current Leafs stars that have made appearances and dominated at the World Juniors.
Although in 2016, both Auston Matthews and Yegor Korshkov put up some of the best performances of Maple Leafs draftees in recent memory, they are not eligible. I am looking for players who were already Leafs prospects when they participated and both of those players participated before they were drafted by the team.