With the Toronto Maple Leafs routinely shipping out draft picks and prospects to improve their NHL roster year after year, they’re among the teams that have to get creative to keep their prospect pipeline well-stocked. General manager Brad Treliving got to work in that regard a couple of weeks ago, signing undrafted free agent forward Borya Valis out of the WHL, and the Leafs were busy again this past week with a pair of NCAA free agent signings in centre Luke Haymes of Dartmouth and defenceman John Prokop out of Union College. Both players will join the Marlies on amateur tryouts for the remainder of this season before their entry-level contracts with the Leafs kick in for the 2025-26 season.

Haymes, who attended Leafs development camp in 2023 before returning to college, was considered among the very best undrafted free agents available out of the NCAA this year. He went on to lead Dartmouth in scoring during the 2023-24 season with 18 goals and 18 assists in 31 games, and despite missing the start of this past season with a broken hand, he still managed 12 goals and six assists through 22 games as a junior.

This year’s top free agent, Luke Haymes, looks more like a well-developing NHL draft pick than a player available for free. Despite missing the start of the season with a broken hand, he’s been Dartmouth’s powerhouse down the middle, controlling the game at both ends of the rink, and bringing legitimate NHL upside.
– EliteProspects.com

Haymes, 21, is a natural centre with pro habits and good size at 6’1″ and 192 pounds, landing the top spot on the Elite Prospects 2025 NCAA free agency guide. Haymes plays an inside-driven game, wreaking havoc around the opposing net with strong positioning and quick hands in tight. One of the most translatable parts of his game is his strength along the boards, where he is willing to finish his checks, use his body to protect pucks, and get pucks off the wall into the middle of the ice to create offensive opportunities for his team. More of a finisher than a distributor, Haymes can beat goaltenders from a distance with his heavy wrister, and he has started to show off more of his puck skills in one-on-one situations.

Defensively, Haymes works just as hard. He tracks back intelligently, picking up trailing players off the rush, and he engages down low in his own zone with physicality and an active stick. Haymes reads the play at a high level, disrupting passing lanes and identifying threats in a timely fashion. He may not possess the same upside as the recently departed Fraser Minten, but the archetype is similar, and Haymes is a nice addition for a Leafs system that is particularly thin down the middle.

Prokop will turn 24 years old in May, so he’s on the older side of players who could be considered prospects. So, what do the Leafs have in Prokop?

For starters, Prokop has a projectable NHL frame at 6’3″ and 190 pounds, and he has learned to use that size to be a more imposing defensive presence than he was when he started his collegiate career. He has been extremely productive over the last two seasons at Union College as well, leading his club in scoring with 35 points in 36 games during the 2023-24 season, and he was near the top of his team’s stat sheet again this past season, with 27 points in 36 games. While Prokop has decent mobility and looks comfortable carrying the puck or jumping into the rush, his offensive output stems more from quick reads than it does from dynamic skill. He can quarterback a power play with his ability to get shots through and distribute the puck from the point, but that role might not be there for him at the pro level.

Fortunately, Prokop has also showcased plenty of tools that could make him effective in his own end as well. He can mirror oncoming attackers well enough with his mobility and gap control, and he does a good job of using his body to box out around his own net. Prokop makes a habit of finishing his checks or sealing players off against the wall to help stop the cycle, and he can quickly turn things back up ice with a strong first pass.

Kyle Cushman

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#LeafsForever signed John Prokop to a 1-year ELC starting next season. Here are his notable points this season. A late-blooming, 6-foot-3 defenseman. Averaged nearly 25 minutes with Union. Led the team in scoring as a freshman and sophomore. Exactly the type for a 1-year ELC Show more

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At his age, Prokop will have a shorter runway than most other prospects, but the Leafs are hoping that also means he’s further along in his development than some of the younger blueliners in the system. Despite his offensive exploits in college, he projects as more of a shutdown defender who can move the puck on a third pair if he is able to adapt to the pace of the pro game. Prokop shouldn’t be considered a surefire NHLer by any means, but he was one of the top available defenders in a relatively shallow class of undrafted college free agents.

The Leafs have gotten off to a good start in the NCAA free agency period, and they might not be done just yet. They could still look to bolster their ranks up front with the likes of TJ Hughes of the Michigan Wolverines, Karsen Dorwart from the Michigan State Spartans, Ohio State’s Riley Thompson, and Jack Stockfish out of Holy Cross being the top names to watch for. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Leafs nearly signed Dorwart a year ago, but he opted to return to school for another season, and they are expected to be one of his top suitors again this spring.

Dorwart’s squad is the number two seed in the NCAA tournament, and they are expected to make a run for the national title, which won’t take place until the middle of April. Dorwart can’t sign a professional contract until Michigan State’s season comes to an end one way or the other, while Hughes, Thompson, and Stockfish are all free to sign and begin their pro careers right now.

Notes from the rest of the prospect pool:

CHL regular seasons wrapped up over the weekend, and a handful of Leafs prospects are slated for playoff action. In the Ontario League, Easton Cowan and the London Knights will take on the Owen Sound Attack as they begin their pursuit of a second straight OHL championship, Ben Danford and the Oshawa Generals will face the Brampton Bulldogs, while Sam McCue and the Flint Firebirds will face off against the Kitchener Rangers. Out west, Noah Chadwick will lead the Lethbridge Hurricanes against the Brandon Wheat Kings, Miroslav Holinka and the Edmonton Oil Kings will match up with the Prince Albert Raiders, Nathan Mayes and the Spokane Chiefs will go up against the Vancouver Giants, and the newly signed Borya Valis’ Prince George Cougars will take on the Portland Winterhawks.
After an impressive rookie season in the AHL, Topi Niemelä’s second season with the Marlies has been underwhelming. His role has been diminished at times, and so too has his production from the back end. Niemelä posted eight goals and 31 assists in 68 games as a rookie, but he didn’t have anything in the goal column before putting home an ugly one against the Belleville Senators this past Friday. For the season, Niemelä has registered 20 points in 55 games, and though he has stated his desire to continue playing in North America, his status with the Leafs moving forward feels like it’s up in the air.

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🚨 IT'S TOPI TIME! 🚨

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11:37 PM · Mar 21, 2025

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Jacob Quillan stayed hot over the weekend, scoring in back-to-back games against Belleville. Thrust into a larger role following the trade that sent Fraser Minten to Boston, Quillan has taken full advantage of the opportunity and now has six goals to go along with a pair of helpers over his last nine games. With his first full season of pro hockey nearly in the books, Quillan has posted a respectable 15 goals and 15 assists through 56 games, all while being a reliable two-way presence down the middle. He might not have quite the same upside as the younger Minten, but Quillan looks like he has raised his floor as an NHL prospect, and he could factor into the Leafs’ plans next season.

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Q FINISHES IT OFF ON THE ODD-MAN 🎯