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Maple Leafs select forward Cooper Williams with 158th pick in 2026 NHL Draft
Photo credit: (Steven Ellis/The Nation Network)
By Alex Hobson
Jun 27, 2026, 15:19 EDTUpdated: Jun 27, 2026, 15:18 EDT
The Toronto Maple Leafs have selected forward Cooper Williams with the 158th pick of the 2026 NHL Draft.
Williams, 18, is a centre who stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs in at 163 pounds. He spent this season with the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League and finished second on the team in scoring with 57 points in 66 games, along with six points in 11 playoff games for the Blades. His teammate, Zach Olsen, was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the third round of the draft earlier in the day.
He remained steady at 57 points in each of his first two seasons with the Blades, and also displays a strong two-way game. He’s committed to the University of North Dakota for the 2026-27 season, following a recent trend that lots of Canadian junior players have embarked on. Williams will be teammates with fellow Maple Leafs draft pick Ethan MacKenzie, who played for the Edmonton Oil Kings of the same league this season and also announced his commitment to UND. They will play alongside Keaton Verhoeff, who was selected tenth overall by the San Jose Sharks on Friday.
DailyFaceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis wrote the following about Williams in his final draft rankings.
Williams does a lot away from the puck. He can shoot, but he’s better at chasing after guys and forcing turnovers. His shot can be deceptive, forcing defenders to make quicker decisions than they’d probably like. I think his true value at the next level will be his two-way game, but if he can unlock some speed and more fluidity in his stride, I could see him becoming a nice bottom-six NHL threat. Teams like guys who can shine in lesser roles while stepping up when needed – Williams fits the bill.
The Maple Leafs further bolster the centre position in their prospect pool following the addition of Williams today.
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