John Chayka’s first draft as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks like it could be the most successful one the team has had in years. Only a few months ago, they had no first-round pick and no picks until the third round. They got a boost from lady luck by winning the draft lottery, and between the returns from Joseph Woll and Brandon Carlo, they walked out with ten picks. It was the most they had drafted in a single class since 2020, and there were several players taken later than where scouts had them projected to go. Of course, this wasn’t all Chayka’s doing. The entire scouting staff, headlined by Director of Amateur Scouting Mark Leach, put in the dirty work throughout the year, and Chayka put them in a good position to succeed with the picks he acquired.

With a fresh revamp of the prospect pool, here’s a look at each prospect the Maple Leafs took home over the weekend and where each of them will be spending the 2026-27 season.

If Gavin McKenna isn’t playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2026-27, then something went horribly wrong. As in, he would have to grossly underperform in training camp and preseason. The Leafs have clearly extended their win-now mandate and the McKenna pick reflects that. If he so much as proves he can hang in the NHL, he will be here in 2026-27. If he isn’t, then he’ll be back at Penn State and dominating the NCAA. But I’d put my money on him being in the opening night lineup.

Alexander Bilecki was a big part of the Rangers’ 2026 Memorial Cup-winning team even if his spot in the lineup didn’t reflect it. He was their fifth defenceman, playing on the left side behind Nashville Predators first round pick Cameron Reid and Los Angeles Kings draft pick Jared Woolley. Reid will be going to the University of Michigan for the 2026-27 season and Woolley is expected to make the jump to the AHL, so Bilecki will return to the Rangers in 2026-27 and have ample opportunity to showcase his toolbox.

Ethan MacKenzie is potentially one of the sneakiest picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. This was his third year of eligibility after being passed over twice and finished with 22 goals and 58 points in 59 WHL games with the Edmonton Oil Kings along with a spot on Canada’s World Junior team. He turns 20 in early September, technically making him AHL-eligible, but it’s expected that he’ll honour his commitment to the University of North Dakota, at least for one year.

You’re going to be seeing a lot of Canadian junior hockey players taking their talents to the NCAA, and not just in the Maple Leafs’ organization. Some will return for one more year before making the jump, and some will be starting there as soon as next season. Zach Olsen is an example of the latter, with the physical 6-foot-1 winger committing to Colorado College after scoring 18 goals and adding 34 points in 57 games.

The third of four third round picks and the second of two traded-for picks, Mans Gudmundsson is another player who may be looked back on as a steal down the line. The 6-foot-3 right-handed defenceman recorded 25 points in 35 Swedish junior games last year and models his game after Detroit Red Wings star Moritz Seider. It’s unknown whether he’ll be spending more time with the pro club or the junior team, but Gudmundsson will be sticking in Farjestad’s organization in his homeland next season.

The Leafs love taking a gamble on a goaltender or two in the draft, and with Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov both on the verge of graduating to the NHL, they topped up their prospect pool this season. Juuso Ainasto is a 6-foot-4 Finnish goaltender with good mobility who dominated Finland’s U18 league last season. The Leafs have nothing but time with respect to their goaltending prospects, so Ainasto will look to spend a full season with Jokerit’s U20 team, perhaps with an opportunity to play with the big club at some point too.

Why not run it back with another goaltender? It’s very rare you see Latvian players selected straight from the Latvian league — they typically look to Russia, Sweden, or Finland to continue their development, but Patriks Plumins is an exception. He finished the 2025-26 season with a .927 SV% and a 1.50 GAA and also impressed on the international stage with Team Latvia at the U18 World Championships. It’s unknown right now where Plumins will be spending next season, but until news breaks that he’s signing elsewhere, he’ll probably remain in Latvia to continue his development, at least this season.

Like his Saskatoon Blades teammate and fellow Maple Leafs draft pick Zach Olsen, Cooper Williams will eventually be taking his talents south of the border to join the University of North Dakota. Not yet though. He appears to be returning to the Blades and will look to improve on a 57-point campaign before heading to UND to join Olsen in 2027-28.

Yaroslav Fedoseyev is a 6-foot-1 right-handed defenceman with a mean streak who is yet another project pick for the Maple Leafs. He spent time in all three of Russia’s sports leagues last season, between the junior league, the second-tier pro league, and the KHL, so where he plays next season will depend on how well he plays. Either way, he’ll be in the Chelyabinsk organization nice and close to home.

Rounding out the Maple Leafs’ draft class is Saginaw Spirit forward Brody Pepoy, another energy bug who displays NHL bottom-six potential. Despite not being drafted into the OHL and having to earn a job with the Spirit out of training camp, he finished the season with 16 goals and 29 points in 67 games and earned himself a commitment to Lindenwood University in Missouri. He’ll be spending the 2026-27 season as an NCAA freshman.