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Maple Leafs Prospect Roundup: Leafs’ lack of assets, Quillan knocking on the door
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Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Nick Richard
Jan 27, 2026, 10:05 ESTUpdated: Jan 27, 2026, 10:02 EST
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The Toronto Maple Leafs wallowed in mediocrity for years before the arrival of players like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander ushered in a new era for the franchise. Those three in particular represented the homegrown star power the organization had sought for decades, and there were other promising young players making their way up the ranks to supplement that fresh core of talent.
Connor Brown went from being a seventh-round pick to scoring 20 goals as a rookie for the Maple Leafs, spending much of his first season alongside fellow rookie Matthews. Another rookie, Zach Hyman, was the third member of that line on a lot of nights, and his potential as a heart-and-soul player was evident from day one, even if his offensive abilities weren’t as apparent just yet. Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson cracked the roster full-time a couple of seasons later, with each of them notching 20 goals in their first full campaign. They had Travis Dermott giving them quality minutes on their third pair, and undrafted free agent signing Trevor Moore bringing energy in spot duty on their fourth line. Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin eventually joined the fold, and while they weren’t perfect defenders, they both played some good hockey for the Leafs as young players in the league.
None of those players were going to put the Leafs over the top at that point in their careers, but they all made contributions to the team while counting for very little against the salary cap. That salary cap flexibility and organizational depth allowed them to sign free agents like John Tavares and Patrick Marleau, or to trade other prospects like Sean Durzi to acquire a player of Jake Muzzin’s stature.
Sure, the club would probably like a do-over on the Zach Hyman departure, but the issue for the Leafs isn’t that they let go of the Kapanens and Sandins of the world – it’s been their inability to backfill the organizational pipeline behind them as that core of star talent begins to age, or in the case of Marner, leave altogether.
Through a couple of different regimes now, the Leafs haven’t been precious with their draft picks or prospects when it comes to trying to upgrade their roster in an effort to get over the postseason hump. Some of those deals have worked out, and some haven’t, but it has left this iteration of the Leafs in a tough spot.
Beyond Matthews, Nylander, Morgan Rielly, the only skaters on the current roster who were drafted by the Leafs are Matthew Knies, Nick Robertson, and Easton Cowan. Throw Bobby McMann in there as an undrafted free agent signing who has worked out, but he’s a pending UFA who will turn 30 before next season. Knies is obviously a budding star, and he has remained effective despite battling an injury for a large part of the season. It’s taken a while, but Robertson is having the best season of his career and looks like a quality middle-six forward. Cowan has real potential as an offensive creator, but he has probably been forced into a larger role with the Leafs this season than they would have liked.
The current roster feels somewhat cobbled together, with imperfect fits like Max Domi, Matias Maccelli, and Dakota Joshua all accounting for more against the salary cap than their on-ice contributions are worth most nights. Then there is the sunk cost of a player like Brandon Carlo, who hasn’t lived up to the acquisition price of Fraser Minten and what has the potential to be an early first-round pick in the upcoming draft. Scott Laughton has been a quality bottom-six piece for the Leafs, and one that might be worth keeping around beyond this season, but he didn’t come cheap, either, with another first-rounder and Nikita Grebenkin heading out the door.
Injuries haven’t helped, but this Leafs team is on track to miss the playoffs as we close in on the Olympic break, and they’ll need to go on a serious run down the stretch to leapfrog the teams ahead of them in the Wild Card race. Unfortunately for the Leafs, there is no obvious help coming from the Marlies right now, and they have depleted their draft capital to the point that it’s going to be difficult, and perhaps ill-advised, to make a significant addition to this lineup before the trade deadline.
Chances are the Leafs’ management group will still make an effort to improve this roster for a late push, but that might delay the next wave even further. And if the Leafs do decide to embark on a retool, can they expect to reap the benefits while Matthews and Nylander are still in the prime of their careers?
The organization is facing a lot of difficult questions right now, and there are no easy answers coming from within.

Notes from the rest of the prospect pool:

  • The Leafs do have one young player knocking on the door who could be a part of the solution eventually, but opportunities have been tough to come by for Jacob Quillan. He has checked off nearly all the boxes at the AHL level, leading the Marlies in points per game with eight goals and 19 assists in 28 games. He has speed and plays a responsible defensive game with some physicality mixed in, but as much as he has earned a real look at the NHL level, Craig Berube has been hesitant to give him a real chance with the season hanging in the balance. Quillan drew into the Leafs’ lineup for the fourth time this season against the mighty Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, and with Toronto chasing the game almost from the outset, he saw just over six minutes of ice time. It’s nearly impossible to make an impact in such a small role, and Quillan’s best moment of the game came late in the third when he flew in on the forecheck to land a big hit on an Avalanche defender. It looks as though Calle Jarnkrok will draw back into the lineup in Quillan’s place on Tuesday, but it might soon be time for the Leafs to see what they really have in Quillan.
  • Ben Danford could be a part of the solution down the road, too, but he is also one of the very few assets the Leafs have at their disposal as it stands right now. He’s played just three games with Brantford in the OHL since the World Juniors wrapped up, and he notched an assist in Friday’s overtime win against Sudbury, bringing him to 13 points in 18 games with his new club. Danford will be the biggest name to watch for the Leafs as trade talks continue to ramp up, but at some point, they need to start integrating these young pieces into their lineup, rather than shipping them out for marginal upgrades to a flawed roster.
  • Dennis Hildeby has stepped up for the Leafs in a big way this season, and his play has gone a long way towards establishing himself as a quality NHL option. He was reassigned to the Marlies this past week as Anthony Stolarz made his long-awaited return to the Leafs’ lineup, but the Leafs have to be looking ahead to next season when they will no longer have the option of sending Hildeby to the minors without having him go through waivers. Trading a young goaltender with the potential Hildeby has already shown isn’t the most appealing idea for a team in flux, but the crease has become a position of strength for the organization, and they will be forced to make a decision at some point in the next few months.
  • Tyler Hopkins has been lining up as Guelph’s first line center, and he had a productive week, tallying a goal and three assists over his last three games. For the season, Hopkins has totaled 15 goals and 18 assists in 39 games between the Kingston Frontenacs and Guelph Storm.
  • It was a relatively quiet week for Miroslav Holinka, and he still managed to pot a pair of goals over the course of three games, including a shorthanded marker against Regina on Wednesday. Holinka has been a star for the Oil Kings all season, and currently sits in a tie for fifth in WHL scoring with 28 goals and 34 assists in 42 games. He is looking more and more like a legitimate NHL prospect, but as a later-round pick, his value to the Leafs is probably higher than it would be should they throw his name into trade talks.
  • It took a while for Victor Johansson to earn a real opportunity in the SHL, but he has taken advantage of his minutes recently. He has averaged around 15 minutes of ice time on Leksands’ back end over the last three games, notching three assists and launching five shots on goal in the process. Johansson still has plenty of maturing to do physically, but the mobility, vision, and willingness to compete are all there. He’s still a long-term project for the organization, but he is trending in the right direction.
  • Borya Valis has put together a solid rookie season in the AHL after signing as an undrafted free agent. His goal in Friday’s contest was his 10th of the season and third in two games, but it appears he will have to wait a while to improve upon those totals. The team announced on Sunday that Valis is out week-to-week, as injuries continue to pile up throughout the organization.
Statistics from EliteProspects.com

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