6 Defencemen the Maple Leafs Should Target With 2nd & 3rd Round Picks in 2026 NHL Draft

The NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo, New York is once again in the books. With the Toronto Maple Leafs selecting first overall, it’s more than likely that Gavin McKenna is the guy for them. He tested and performed very well during the fitness portion and general manager John Chayka made the visit to Whitehorse, Yukon to meet with him personally. 

While that pick appears locked up, their second and third round picks can lead to interesting discussions. Seeing as a top talented winger is the target first overall, why not try to bolster their defensive prospects later on in the draft? I had already mentioned some options with their second-round pick including Axel Elofsson and Jakub Vanecek. I’m also very high on players like Alexander Bilecki and Brek Liske as they both had stand out performances during the CHL Playoffs and Memorial Cup. However, other names could be in play. 

Our very own Andrew Forbes was at the combine and gave me a long list of defensive names that the Maple Leafs talked to or will talk to and could very well be on their radar if they’re there when they make their selection. Here are six defensive prospects that caught my eye and could be options at 60^th and 69^th overall.

William Hakansson

He may not be a point producer on the back end, but Hakansson brings a steady defensive presence along with a strong transitional and breakout game. He played at every level in Sweden this year, playing against his age group, but also getting a taste against senior competition. He’s a very mobile and smooth skater for his 6-foot-4, 217-pound frame and is an anchor on the backend as well, making it hard for attackers to get by him. 

Hakansson is a throwback defender, where he has a booming shot and doesn’t have a whole lot of flash offensively. However, he is a physical and tough player to go up against. He can make the simple plays to get the puck out of danger, defends rushes well and handles the puck under pressure effectively. While he could very well be a late first or early second round pick and may be gone well before the Maple Leafs select again at 60^th overall, he has upside.

Jakub Vanecek

I’ll keep this short as I already wrote about him as a potential target, but I was very impressed with Vanecek’s shot generation and creation at the World U18 Championship. He was one of Czechia’s go-to defenders, playing big minutes and getting a high volume of pucks on net. He also had a decent season with the Tri-City Americans in the Western Hockey League as he had 14 goals and 35 points in 59 games.

He plays a very sound and effective two-way game and shows great patience with the puck. He’s ranked 31^st among North American skaters and although I would take him earlier if I had the chance, it feels like a good fit for the Maple Leafs with their second-round pick.

Timofei Runtso

The Maple Leafs spoke with Runtso and not just during combine week, per Forbes. Runtso was heavily relied upon by the Victoria Royals in the WHL and did very well with the added responsibility and minutes. He had reasonable production with 44 points in 68 games as a rookie defender. 

Runtso has a very detailed, two-way game and excels on the rush. He can play in all situations, has decent offensive production and has the compete and motivation to battle on both sides of the puck. He has a good frame at 6-foot-2, 186 pounds and does a great job of getting pucks on net and creating in the offensive zone. There seems to be a growing sense that the Maple Leafs need more offense from the backend and he can do that. This could be a very valuable selection for the Maple Leafs if they select him at 69^th overall.

Luke Schairer

The USA U18 NTDP program wasn’t the strongest class this season. Though, Schairer remains one of many standouts. Much like Hakansson, Schairer has great composure, defensive awareness and positioning. He has size, mobility and processes the game and also defends rushes very well. 

The downside is that offensively, he isn’t that productive. He had 31 points combined with the NTDP and USHL. Though given his profile, it’s very similar to what they already have with defender Ben Danford. Given that he’s a big and mobile defender, could they look to add another player like that in the second-round? Especially– which seems likely– if Hakansson is off the board? It’s possible. Though they could look for more offense at this point. 

Vladimir Dravecky

I’ll be honest, I had a hard time to get a read on Dravecky this season. He was on a stacked powerhouse Brantford Bulldogs team and he was very noticeable at the start of the season with his puck-moving abilities and steady two-way play. He was a consistent second-rounder for most of the season. 

During the second half of the season, it kind of felt like at times he showed his strengths, but also struggled with his positioning, timing and awareness. However, I’m betting that with more opportunities, he will improve and succeed. He interviewed well during the combine and met with Toronto afterwards. Ranked 47^th among NA skaters, he could be an underrated selection with the third-round pick. 

Xavier Villeneuve

Villeneuve didn’t meet with the Maple Leafs at the Combine, but was going to meet with them after. This feels like a wild card selection and one to keep an eye on draft day. 

A highly talented player that projects to be a mid to late first-round pick, there’s a lot to like in Villeneuve’s game. He’s an extremely dynamic puck-moving defender and has great creativity and playmaking to his game. He constantly pushes the pace of play and is confident in leading an attack. His game is very similar to Lane Hutson’s with the way he skates, shakes off attackers and distributes the puck. He’s also small in stature as he’s 5-foot-11 and 162 pounds. He produces offensively as he had 38 points in 37 games this season and won the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League defenseman of the year last season. 

He’s ranked 18^th on Central Scouting’s final list of NA skaters. Seeing as how teams have let players of his stature slip in the draft, could the Maple Leafs take advantage if he’s there at 60? I wouldn’t hesitate if he was.