On Wednesday night, it was reported that Toronto Maple Leafs general manager, Brad Treliving, was in attendance for the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) game between the Erie Otters and the Owen Sound Attack.
While it’s not unusual for NHL GMs to circle the junior ranks looking for their next pipeline add, it certainly does get the conversation going as to who exactly Treliving was there to see. While the Maple Leafs did fall out of first in the Atlantic Division on Wednesday with a loss to the Minnesota Wild, the team still holds down second in the division and is likely looking at a late first-round pick in 2025.
With that in mind, here are a few options of who Treliving could’ve been there to scout, given that there was no Matthew Schaefer, no Malcolm Spence and no David Bedkowski in the game due to injuries.
Otters’ Sam Alfano Drawing Interest
As The Hockey Writers’ own, Peter Baracchini pointed out on X, one player that might be drawing the ire of the Maple Leafs GM is Sam Alfano of the Otters. The 21-year-old overager is a right-winger who’s on pace to have a career-year with the Otters this season.
In his fourth full OHL season and third with the Otters, Alfano has a career-high 29 goals this season to go along with 56 points in just 44 games. His previous career-high in points is 60 points, set in 2023-24 in 66 games with the Otters.
Now, Alfano has been to NHL development camps in previous seasons — including the Los Angeles Kings in 2023 and the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2024, so there is interest in this particular player.
As for what he’s done this season for the Otters, Alfano leads the team with 29 goals — 10 more than any other player on the team. He’s tied for first on the team in points with Pano Fimis and has helped hold down the fort without draft-eligible Schaefer in the lineup. He’s played in all situations — with goals on the power play and shorthanded — and he’s opened the scoring six times this season for the Otters.
While he might just be a camp invite for the Maple Leafs, Treliving could have his eyes on the native of Hamilton. It’s also worth noting that Alfano was invited to Maple Leafs’ camp back in 2022-23.
Pano Fimis Is a Familiar Face for Maple Leafs
Another player that has been to the Maple Leafs’ camp in the past — back in 2022-23 as a member of the Niagara IceDogs — is Pano Fimis and he’s another overager on the Otters that Treliving could have his eye on.
Fimis is tied withe Alfano for the team lead in points with 56. He’s coming off a season in which he put up 76 points in 68 games with the Otters and already has 19 goals and 56 points in just 44 games.
While he’s already committed to the University of Notre Dame for the 2025-26 season, Treliving could still have his eyes on Fimis for a future spot down the road. He’s a player that sees the game well and looks for the next play as soon as he gets the puck and that makes him a valuable asset that many teams will pine after.
Treliving Eyeing Delisle in 2025 NHL Draft
A draft-eligible player that Treliving could’ve been looking at is Tristan Delisle on the Attack. The 17-year-old centre is small but sees the game well. He obviously has more time to grow and develop, but his game could be something that Treliving has focused in on.
In his first full OHL season, he had just 18 points in 63 games with the Oshawa Generals as a 16-year-old. Now, with one more season under his belt, Delisle has 22 points in 40 games with the Attack and one goal in three games with the Generals, where he started the season.
Related: Maple Leafs Can’t Trade Easton Cowan
He’s fourth on the Attack in points and third in assists. While it’s been a tough go for the Attack this season, Delisle has been one of the few bright spots with his progression in offensive production. He still has a long way to go to get to a point of NHL readiness, but it’s still just his second full OHL season.
As for Treliving, he surely wouldn’t be looking at Delisle as an early 2025 draft pick, but could be seeing what’s available later in the 2025 NHL Draft — a spot that Delisle could be primed to go when it roles around this summer.
Whatever the case, Treliving’s presence at the OHL game has sparked intrigue and it’ll be interesting to see what comes of it as the season continues to progress.
