Honestly, being a fan of this team usually feels like a full-time job in crisis management. If you spend five minutes on any hockey forum, the narrative is almost always the same: the Toronto Maple Leafs have no future because they trade every single draft pick for a "win-now" rental that inevitably walks in July.
It’s a classic trope. And yeah, looking at the draft board some years is like looking at a grocery store shelf during a blizzard—just empty. But here's the thing about Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks: even when the cupboard looks bare, the scouting staff has a weird knack for finding diamonds in the absolute rough. We’re currently in 2026, and the landscape of the prospect pool has shifted in ways most people didn't see coming back in 2024.
The 2025 Class: Betting on Size (For Once)
The 2025 NHL Draft was a bit of a weird one for Toronto. They didn't even have a first-round pick. Fans were ready to write the whole weekend off. But then, at 64th overall, they took Tinus-Luc Koblar.
At the time, people were scratching their heads. Koblar, a Norwegian center playing in Sweden, wasn't exactly a household name. He was a project. But fast forward to right now, January 2026, and the kid is already making noise in the SHL with Leksands. He’s 6-foot-4, plays a heavy defensive game, and recently carried Norway to a promotion at the World Juniors.
The strategy under Brad Treliving has clearly pivoted. Gone are the days of drafting exclusively for "hockey IQ" and 5-foot-9 skill. Look at the rest of that 2025 group:
- Tyler Hopkins (86th overall): A local kid from Campbellville who grew up a Leafs fan. He's been a beast for the Kingston Frontenacs.
- William Belle (137th overall): A 6-foot-4, 220-pound power forward who models his game after Tom Wilson. He's currently at Notre Dame, and honestly, the Leafs haven't had a prospect with that kind of "mean streak" in a decade.
- Harry Nansi (153rd overall): Another big body (6-foot-3) with soft hands playing in Owen Sound.
It’s a different vibe. It’s like the front office finally realized that the playoffs are a car crash, and you need some bigger cars.
The Easton Cowan Factor
We can't talk about Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks without mentioning the guy who changed the conversation. When Easton Cowan was picked 28th overall in 2023, the "experts" hated it. They called it a reach. They said he was a second-rounder at best.
Well, Cowan responded by winning the OHL MVP, the Memorial Cup MVP, and basically forcing his way into the conversation as one of the best prospects in hockey. As of the 2025-26 season, he’s essentially graduated. He’s the proof that the Leafs' scouting department—led by Wes Clark before he followed Sheldon Keefe to Jersey—knew something the public didn't.
Cowan's success gave the fan base permission to trust the process again. It reminded everyone that a draft pick isn't just a number on a chart; it’s a living, breathing player who can develop way past their "scouting report."
What’s Left in the 2026 and 2027 Cupboards?
Now, here is where it gets a little dicey. Asset management has been... let's call it "aggressive."
The Leafs currently own their 2026 first-round pick, but there's a catch. It’s top-five protected from the Brandon Carlo trade with Boston. If the Leafs bottom out (which, let's be real, the way this winter is going, isn't impossible), they might keep it. But more likely, that pick is heading out the door.
The 2026 Draft Outlook:
- 1st Round: Owned (Top-5 protected).
- 2nd - 4th Rounds: Mostly gone. The 2026 fourth-rounder went to Minnesota in the Connor Dewar deal.
- Late Rounds: They still have their 5th and 7th, but they traded their 6th to Carolina for the rights to Cade Webber.
Basically, the 2026 draft is going to be another "quality over quantity" year. The team only has three picks total as of right now. That puts immense pressure on the scouts to find another Matthew Knies or Nikita Grebenkin in the late rounds.
The "Hidden" Gems You Should Watch
While everyone is focused on the big names, there are a few Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks from earlier years that are quietly trending up in early 2026.
Miroslav Holinka is the one everyone is talking about lately. A 5th-rounder from 2024, he’s currently Top 5 in scoring in the WHL with the Edmonton Oil Kings. He’s 20 years old now and looks like he’s ready to jump straight to the Marlies and contribute. He’s got that "pro style" game—responsible, smart, and sneaky productive.
Then there’s Ben Danford. The 2024 first-rounder is the captain of the Oshawa Generals. He isn't going to put up 70 points from the blue line, but he’s the kind of "glue" defenseman that winning teams have. He blocks shots, clears the crease, and plays 25 minutes a night. He’s projected to be a reliable 4-5 defenseman in the NHL by 2027.
Are the Leafs Trading Away Too Much?
There is a valid concern here. You look at teams like Montreal or Utah, and they have ten picks a year. Toronto is lucky to have five.
The counter-argument is that the "Core Four" era requires sacrifice. If you have Auston Matthews in his prime, you don't care about a 2026 3rd-round pick. You care about winning a round. Or four.
However, we saw the danger of this last year. Reports came out that Treliving almost traded both Easton Cowan and Ben Danford to St. Louis for Brayden Schenn. Thankfully, Doug Armstrong said no. Imagine if that trade had happened? The pipeline would be completely empty. It's a tightrope walk. One bad trade can set the franchise back five years because there are no prospects coming up to fill the gaps left by expensive veterans.
How to Track Leaf Prospects Like a Pro
If you're trying to keep tabs on these kids, don't just look at the NHL box scores. Here’s how you actually see if the picks are working out:
- Watch the "Big Three" Leagues: The OHL, WHL, and QMJHL are where most Toronto picks live. Use CHL TV.
- The European Factor: The Leafs love Sweden and Russia. Keep an eye on the SHL (for Koblar) and the KHL.
- The Marlies Transition: If a player doesn't dominate the AHL by age 21, it’s usually time to worry.
Actionable Insights for the Future
If you're looking at the Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks situation and wondering if there's hope, here’s the bottom line:
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- Don't panic about the lack of picks. Toronto has become very good at signing Undrafted Free Agents (UDFA) like Jacob Quillan to supplement their lack of draft capital.
- Size is the new meta. Expect the next few drafts to focus on players over 6-foot-2. The "Dubas Era" of small, skilled wingers is officially over.
- The 2026 Trade Deadline will be the tell. If Treliving trades the 2026 first-rounder for a rental, he's doubling down. If he keeps it, he's acknowledging that the team needs a "retool" rather than a "rebuild."
Keep an eye on the Marlies. The next wave—Holinka, Danford, and eventually Koblar—will determine if the Matthews era has a second act or if it’s just going to be a slow decline. The picks are fewer than we'd like, but the ones they do have are actually starting to look like NHLers.