The Leafs won’t be adding A-list prospects to their pool anytime soon, as the team doesn’t have a first-round pick until 2028, but the draft isn’t just one round long. Taking advantage of late-round picks and finding diamonds in the rough is just as important as making first-round picks. And that includes signing undrafted players from the OHL and/or NCAA.
With that said, here are three Leafs prospects drafted outside the first round (if at all) who have surprised for the Leafs so far in 2025-2026.
Harry Nansi (5th round pick, 135th overall in 2025)
Nansi is a 6-foot forward who can play in any of the three forward positions. He has a quiet elite release despite being known as more of a playmaker, and while his game is still quite raw and could use some improvements on the speed and physical side, his performance so far in 2025-2026 has seen a giant step forward. After finishing last season with seven goals and 23 points in 67 games, he currently has nine goals and 34 points in 25 games for the Owen Sound Attack.
The fact that Nansi was born so close to being eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft makes his production so far that much more impressive. If he had been born a week later and put up those numbers, it’s almost certain he wouldn’t have fallen to the fifth round. The Leafs may have a hidden gem here.
Borya Valis (undrafted, signed as a free agent in 2025)
In fifteen games with the Marlies so far, Valis has six goals and eight points in seventeen games. It’s not mind-numbing stats, but the fact that he seemingly hasn’t missed a beat when it comes to transferring his scoring prowess from the WHL to the AHL is a good sign. He’ll need to keep this up for a full season to really get Maple Leafs brass to take notice, and while his preseason performance indicated he needed time to develop in the AHL, his physicality and energy could put him in line for a promotion to the NHL sooner rather than later.
Timofei Obvintsev (5th round 147th overall in 2024)
After spending the past two seasons with CSKA Red Army Jr, CSKA’s Russian junior team, he now serves as a backup goaltender for Verkhnyaya Pyshma Gornyak of the VHL, Russia’s equivalent of the AHL. Although his record is 0-2, that is not due to his play. He has a save percentage of .926 and a goals-against average of 2.26 in his three games so far.
Three games is about as small as you can get, but it’s worth remembering that European pro teams try to win at all costs the same way NHL teams do, rather than focusing on getting young players ice time so they can eventually leave for the NHL. Obvintsev could pursue a starting job in the KHL next season with the way he’s playing now, so he’s worth keeping an eye on.
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