Toronto’s pipeline isn’t overly deep, but that Matthew Knies still qualifies as a U23 player keeps the Maple Leafs’ young player base from the very bottom of the league. They have solid players after Knies, even if it’s not a large number of them.

2024 ranking: 22

2025 NHL Draft grade: C

Player Ranking

1. Matthew Knies, LW

October 17, 2002 | 6-foot-3 | 227 pounds | Shoots left

Drafted: No. 57 in 2021
Tier: Top of the lineup player

Skating: Below NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end

Analysis: Knies has become a major part of the Leafs’ lineup as a highly likable player who’s a big, strong winger with a great motor and a high skill level. He’s a highly physical winger who creates havoc around the net. He’s also a creative player with the puck who can make difficult plays, but he does so in a direct way to the high-percentage areas. Knies’ skating has always been an issue, but he’s a big guy who plays hard, so he’s shown he can overcome it. He looks like a legit top-line winger who can serve a highly valuable role on a team.

2. Easton Cowan, C

May 20, 2005 | 5-foot-11 | 185 pounds | Shoots left

Drafted: No. 28 in 2023
Tier: Middle of the lineup player

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Above NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end

Analysis: Cowan wasn’t quite as dominant in the OHL this year as he was in 2023-24, but he was still a top player. He’s a tenacious player who is always around the puck and plays with a high energy level. He isn’t big, but he wins battles and creates offense in the high-percentage areas. Cowan is a strong skating winger who’s also very skilled, sees the ice well and has perimeter offense. Whether his offense in the NHL will be special is debatable right now, and he’s not the most dynamic 5-foot-11 forward you will ever see, but his compete level should make him a middle-six winger.

3. Ben Danford, D

February 6, 2006 | 6-foot-2 | 194 pounds | Shoots right

Drafted: No. 31 in 2024
Tier: Projected to play NHL games

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: Below NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: High-end

Analysis: Danford was a top player for Oshawa this season, although it’s fair to say his game didn’t show significant progression from his draft season. Danford skates quite well. He’s able to escape pressure with the puck and skate pucks up ice like a pro. Defensively, he closes on pucks quickly and competes hard to win battles. Offensively, he displays some flashes of strong puck play and playmaking, but that aspect of his game is inconsistent. At the moment, he looks like a potential third-pair defenseman unless his puck play becomes better.

4. Miroslav Holinka, C

November 10, 2005 | 6-foot-1 | 185 pounds | Shoots right

Drafted: No. 151 in 2024
Tier: Projected to play NHL games

Skating: NHL average
Puck skills: NHL average
Hockey sense: NHL average
Compete: NHL average
Shot: Above NHL average

Analysis: Honlinka had a decent first season in North America, but played at the top of his game at the World Juniors. He’s a center with intriguing tools, and a good skater with strong puck skills who can beat defenders one-on-one with pace. I don’t think he’s a great playmaker or finisher, but he’s strong enough in both areas. His compete level is decent. Coaches trust him, and he can play both ways, but he’s not overly physical. He checks a lot of boxes, even if he doesn’t stand out at anything, but he could be a bottom-six forward in the NHL.

Has a chance to play*

Tinus Luc Koblar is a big center with good hands and a heavy element in his play. His skating and hockey sense are just OK, though. Tyler Hopkins is a likable two-way forward who moves well but isn’t the most dynamic offensive player.

Noah Chadwick, D

May 10, 2005 | 6-foot-4 | 207 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 185 in 2023

Tyler Hopkins, C

January 23, 2007 | 6-foot-1 | 181 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 86 in 2025

Tinus Luc Koblar, C

July 21, 2007 | 6-foot-4 |187 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 64 in 2025

Nathan Mayes, D

June 10, 2006 | 6-foot-4 | 201 pounds | Shoots left | Drafted: No. 225 in 2024

Alexander Plesovskikh, LW

August 1, 2006 | 6-foot-1 | 185 pounds | Shoots right | Drafted: No. 152 in 2024

* Listed in alphabetical order

Player eligibility: All skaters who are 22 years old or younger as of Sept. 15, 2025, regardless of how many NHL games they’ve played, are eligible. Player heights and weights are taken from the NHL.

Tool grades: Tool grades are based on a scale with six separate levels, with an eye toward how this attribute would grade in the NHL (poor, below-average, average, above-average, high-end and elite). “Average” on this scale means the tool projects as NHL average, which is meant as a positive, not a criticism. Skating, puck skills, hockey sense and compete for every projected NHL player are graded. Shot grades are only included if a shot is notably good or poor.

Tier definitions: Tiers are meant to show roughly where in an average NHL lineup a player projects to slot in.

(Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic. Photo: Brian Fluharty / Getty Images)