Subscribe
Follow Us
The 2025 NHL Draft is now in the books, and it's time to examine these classes. The team next on the list is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who did not have a first-round pick at the event in Los Angeles. However, they did hold two selections within the top 100, and they had six picks overall.
The Maple Leafs made some trades before NHL Free Agency and the NHL Draft. Matias Maccelli is headed to Toronto after being traded by the Utah Mammoth. Of course, the Maple Leafs traded Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights as talks heated up in Los Angeles at the draft.
Toronto is looking to win the Stanley Cup, but they need to keep their future in clear sight, as well. Did they improve their future outlook at the 2025 NHL Draft? It's time to look at the Maple Leafs' draft class and hand out an initial grade on its quality.
🔷 Our 2025 Draft Class 🔷 pic.twitter.com/v6aVVWXHOk
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 28, 2025
Maple Leafs take swings in top-100
The Maple Leafs selected some intriguing prospects with their first two selections. Toronto began the 2025 NHL Draft by selecting Norwegian center Tinus Luc Koblar from Swedish outfit Leksands IF. This was quite the surprise at the end of the second round.
In terms of size, Luc Koblar checks all the boxes. He stands 6'3″ already, which teams will absolutely covet. He stands to add muscle if he wants to succeed at the NHL level. Still, he brings the sort of size that can help him take that next step.
Outside of his size, though, it's hard to see the NHL projection here. Luc Koblar has flashed offensive potential. And he does do well in transition as well as on the forecheck. His skating is another positive, though he's not an elite skater. However, he is incredibly raw as a prospect. Toronto may be able to afford being patient, but there is a lot of work that needs to be done.
Toronto's third-round pick, however, is a different story. The Maple Leafs selected Kingston Frontenacs forward Tyler Hopkins with the 86th pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. By all accounts, Hopkins is a good value pick for Toronto at this spot. Many evaluators had a second-round grade on him heading into Los Angeles.
Hopkins is a rather polished prospect already. While he doesn't excel at any one thing, he does a lot of things really well. He distributes the puck well, and he has a good shot that challenges goalies. Moreover, he plays with an incredibly high motor. Hopkins prides himself on outplaying the opponent in all facets of the game. There is legitimate top-nine potential here, if not middle-six potential.
Both of these selections see the Maple Leafs taking gambles on different things. Toronto is gambling on Luc Koblar's untapped potential coming through in his development. And they are banking on Hopkins to live up to his pre-draft hype despite going nearly two rounds later than expected at the 2025 NHL Draft.
Toronto finds little value in later rounds
The Maple Leafs did find a value pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NHL Draft. They selected Owen Sound Attack forward Harry Nansi with the 153rd pick. And this may be their best selection of the entire class.
Like Luc Koblar, Nansi is a raw prospect. However, the skill and potential are very clear to see. The Maple Leafs draft pick is a high-end playmaker who generates offense for his teammates. Sometimes, he looks like one of the best passers in the entire class. Nansi combines his playmaking with physicality and flashes of top-shelf skill.
There are some flaws in his game that need to be worked out. For instance, he is not all that mobile on the ice. Nansi's skating is a major concern when it comes to his NHL projection. The Owen Sound forward also made some questionable decisions with the puck. However, his projection is quite exciting, and it's a worthwhile bet in the late rounds.
Beyond Nansi, Toronto found little in the way of value. Fifth-round pick William Belle could become a fourth-line checking forward, but the projection is murky. Sixth-round pick Rylan Fellinger was draft on the day of his prom, so this is a life long memory. He's a stay-at-home defenseman who could make it as a shutdown option on the bottom pairing. Seventh-round pick Matthew Hlacar has no real NHL projection.
The Maple Leafs need to find players with comfortable projections at the NHL level. Initial readings of their class suggest they didn't find those players here. Toronto didn't entirely strike out, but they didn't do themselves any favors.
Grade and final thoughts
The Maple Leafs get low marks for their 2025 NHL Draft class. Outside of Hopkins and Nansi, these are major gambles on Toronto's behalf. Things could certainly turn out well for the Maple Leafs. At this time, this class is barren of players with comfortable projections at the NHL level. And that does not bode well for Toronto's future.
Toronto Maple Leafs draft grade: D+
