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Maple Leafs Prospect Roundup: Danford earns accolades, CHL playoffs in full swing
Ben Danford (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)
Photo credit: Ben Danford (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)
Nick Richard
Apr 8, 2025, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 8, 2025, 15:46 EDT
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With the CHL playoffs well underway and other leagues winding down, many of this season’s stories have already been written. For those still in pursuit of glory in their respective leagues, it means more time to grow and develop while potentially improving their standing within the organization. Time will tell what it all might mean in the grand scheme of things, but for now, let’s get to how the Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospects have fared.

CHL Playoffs

The London Knights wrapped up a decisive four-game sweep of the Owen Sound Attack last Thursday, and as he did throughout the series, Easton Cowan made his mark in the closing game. He fired eight shots on net, and his goal near the midway mark of the contest ended up being the game-winner, giving him four goals and five assists in the opening round of the OHL playoffs. Cowan and the rest of the Knights are gunning for a second straight OHL championship, and their next test will come in the form of a second-round matchup with the Erie Otters.
Ben Danford and the Oshawa Generals also punched their ticket to the second round of the OHL playoffs, finishing off their opening round series against the Brampton Steelheads with a 4-1 victory in game six on Sunday. Danford finished the series with a goal and an assist from the back end, and as he did all season, he took on the best the opposition had to offer night after night. The Leafs’ 2024 first-round pick was recognized for that shutdown ability this past week, as OHL coaches voted him as the top defensive defenceman in the Eastern Conference, and he’ll have to continue living up to that billing when the Generals kick off their second-round series with the Brantford Bulldogs this week.
Things didn’t go quite as well for Sam McCue’s Flint Firebirds in the first round of the OHL postseason, as they were eliminated by the Kitchener Rangers in five games. Following a breakout season in which the Maple Leafs’ seventh-round pick powered his way to 36 goals and 19 assists in 55 games, McCue failed to register a point against Kitchener in the playoffs. He might not have too much time to stew on the loss, however, as he and the Leafs could be facing a tough decision in the coming days. Despite being a 2024 draft pick, McCue will turn 20 in early October, meaning he could join the Marlies to begin his professional career or return to the OHL for an overage year. The other option is for him to go the NCAA route, continuing his development against more mature competition before turning pro. If heading to the NCAA is a legitimate consideration, we likely won’t see him again this season, but he could join the Marlies for the final few games of this season if college eligibility isn’t a concern.
Out west, a pair of Leafs prospects have helped their squads advance to the second round of the WHL playoffs, with Noah Chadwick and the Lethbridge Hurricanes, along with Nathan Mayes and the Spokane Chiefs, advancing. Meanwhile, Borya Valis and his Prince George Cougars dropped game seven to the Portland Winterhawks on Monday, and Miroslav Holinka’s Edmonton Oil Kings will look to come away victorious in the seventh and final game of their series against Prince Albert on Tuesday night.
The Hurricanes took down the Brandon Wheat Kings in five games, with Chadwick scoring the game-winner while adding an assist in the series-clinching contest. He finished the first round with a goal and four assists, and he’ll look to build upon that performance against the Calgary Hitmen in round two. Already under contract with the Leafs, Chadwick will likely serve as a black ace for the Marlies whenever his junior season comes to an end.
Known more for his physical play and defensive mindset, Nathan Mayes‘ offensive production took a positive step this season, and he kept that up to help the Spokane Chiefs to a 4-1 series victory over the Vancouver Giants in the first round. Mayes finished with five assists over five games against the Giants, logging big minutes and coming out of the series +9. He’s still a long way away, but Mayes has shown real growth this season, and he’ll be a big part of whatever success Spokane is able to have moving forward.
Prince George had their season end in disappointing fashion with a 4-2 loss to close out their opening round series on Monday night, but Valis ended his junior career on a somewhat positive note. The loss will surely sting, but the Leafs’ undrafted free agent signing put together an impressive, albeit short, playoff run. Valis was held off the scoresheet despite firing seven shots on goal in game seven against Portland, but he finished the series with three goals and four assists. Look for him to join the Marlies to end the season before beginning his pro career full-time next fall.

Marlies slumping

The Marlies have gone cold at the wrong time, dropping their fourth straight game against the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday. Saturday’s defeat came in the shootout, and they forced overtime against Utica earlier in the week, so they still managed to bank a couple of points to keep them six points clear of the final playoff spot in the North Division with five games left on the schedule. Scoring has been a problem for the Marlies during their recent slump, but Cade Webber did manage to score the first goal of his professional career in Friday’s 4-1 loss. With just seven points in 55 games this season, Webber is never going to be relied upon to drive offence from the back end, but it had to feel good to see one go in the net.
Dennis Hildeby was a bright spot in Wednesday’s overtime loss to Utica, stopping 23 of the 25 shots he faced, with a number of difficult saves among them. Unfortunately, he was pulled early in Friday’s game after surrendering two goals on the first three shots Syracuse put on the net. It has been an up-and-down season for Hildeby, but he has had some of his best performances of the season in recent weeks, and he’ll need more games like that if the Marlies are going to make any noise in the playoffs.

Notes from the rest of the prospect pool:

  • 2024 fourth-round pick Victor Johansson put together an impressive season, finishing in a tie for second in scoring among J20 Nationell defencemen with seven goals and 32 assists in 47 games. He has stayed productive through the first four games of the J20 playoff tournament, notching two assists with eight shots on goal. Johansson is still very raw as a prospect, but he has taken positive steps in his development this season and should see significant time in the SHL next year.
  • Seventh-rounder Matt Lahey doubled up his goal total for the season, scoring twice in Fargo’s 6-2 win over Matthew Knies’ former team, the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. Lahey is another defence-first player the Leafs took a late-round swing on in the 2024 draft, but he’s managed 16 points in 58 games on Fargo’s blue line, and he’ll continue his development in a top program at Michigan State next season.
  • It was a mediocre season for Alexander Plesovskikh in Russia’s junior league, but he’s gotten off to a hot start in the playoffs with two goals in three games. Plesovskikh will have to continue to climb the ladder to the VHL, and then the KHL, before he’s really on the NHL radar, but a strong postseason in the junior ranks could help him earn those opportunities in the future.
Statistics from EliteProspects.com

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