The Maple Leafs haven't had the strongest drafts, and though they have seemed to load up on prospective goaltenders and defenseman (more on that later), they have lacked that big elite name coming through the ranks; although they may not be far off with the #1 pick.
Right off the bat, picks #1 and #2 obviously stand out as outliers compared to the others; Cowan put up a ridiculous 96 points in 54 games for the London Knights last season en route to a slew of accomplishments. Minten, who made the team out of camp last year also put together a solid season split between Kamloops and Saskatoon, with 48 points in 43 games with both teams.
Rounding out the Top 5 are Niemala, the first defenseman on the list and someone who could genuinely make a push for a roster spot should he have a breakout first half, or if any injuries occur to the D-Corps; Hildeby, a Swedish netminder at 6'7 projects to be a big part of the Maple Leafs in the future and can only grow from here. Finally, we have the newest prospect Ben Danford, who was drafted 31st overall in the 2024 Entry Draft. He's got great IQ and defensive metrics and will be a shutdown defenseman for the Leafs in due time.
