We’re quickly approaching the American Thanksgiving Day mark for the NHL, which ultimately is a good indicator of who’s likely to make the postseason. Close to 80% of the playoff spots are accounted for and the Toronto Maple Leafs are not in a good spot.
It’s not ideal to see the Maple Leafs 27th overall in points percentage with .500 and out of the playoff picture. They’re 9-9-2 as everything has gone wrong and they don’t have full security of getting a top prospect in a deep 2026 NHL Draft. Their first-round pick that they sent in the Brandon Carlo deal is top-five protected and gives them a slim chance at the possibility of selecting Penn State winger Gavin McKenna.
It’s really disappointing for a team that still has hopes of making the playoffs and going on another deep run to a possible lottery team. There’s always the chance they can bounce back, but if the Maple Leafs miss the playoffs and end up in the top-five, they hold onto their pick in the 2026 draft. Even if they miss out on McKenna and they don’t get the first overall selection, they could have three strong options that could really help them out sooner rather than later.
Verhoeff’s Offensive Game and Mobility
The biggest issue that’s facing the Maple Leafs is the ineffectiveness of their breakouts and playmaking from the defense. The team has a lacked a true, dynamic first-pairing defender that can really be a force from the backend. North Dakota defender Keaton Verhoeff, has top pairing, number one defender written all over him as he’s my third ranked prospect in my preseason rankings.
Any team, especially the Maple Leafs would love to have a right shot, extremely mobile, 6-foot-4, 212-pound player with great offensive and defensive instincts. He’s off to a strong start to his draft year with four goals and eight points in 12 games as a freshman after making the jump from the Western Hockey League. With this being a transition period, the 17-year-old is playing against older competition and continues to progress, adjusting well and keeping up with the pace.
He has great awareness and tendencies in the offensive zone, jumping into the play and finding the open space with ease with a shooter’s mentality and can hurt you with a quick wrist shot or a slapshot. He can make timely pinches to keep plays alive, but it’s his quick pace, great confidence and poise when breaking out and leading an attack in transition that stands out.
He defends very well by closing gaps, but there are times where he can be too aggressive and that can hurt him positionally. However, he can recover with his speed and size to cut down attackers. He shows great compete and physicality in battles and doesn’t make it easy for attackers to get to the net.
The Maple Leafs need that go-to, offensive defender and Verhoeff can do just that while also playing a sound defensive game.
Stenberg’s Pro Experience, Strong IQ and Playmaking
If the Maple Leafs choose to select a forward, they won’t have to wait long for Ivar Stenberg as he’s already producing and playing at a high-end level in the SHL as an 18-year-old. Now, it’s not the NHL, but when you’re producing at under a point per game rate (15 points in 19 games) and is in top-25 in league scoring, you know you’re doing something right.
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Starting the season as my second ranked prospect behind McKenna, Stenberg’s greatest asset is his IQ, as he quickly thinks the game and executes at a high level. He’s always one or two steps ahead of his opponent, making swift and deceptive plays with the puck, showing great control in tight spaces on the ice. He creates space very easily, allowing him to open things up to make a play or attack the middle while also spotting seams easily to connect with his accurate passing.
Stenberg has great energy and pace to his game, showing no signs of slowing when he has the space to work with. His first few steps are strong and can generate a great amount of speed with quick crosscuts, adding an element of shiftiness to his mobility and movement to push defenders back. He’s unpredictable and because he’s quick with the combination of his smarts, skating and edge work, he’s tough to contain.
Belchetz’s Power- Forward Dominance
If Verhoeff and Stenberg are gone, Ethan Belchetz fits the bill of how the Maple Leafs want to play; big, physical, competitive and displaying a winning mindset every time he’s on the ice. The first overall pick in the 2024 Ontario Hockey League Draft, Belchetz is off to a hot start as he’s ninth in league scoring with 27 points in 21 games and third overall with 16 goals.
Standing at 6-foot-5, 227 pounds, Belchetz uses that to his advantage anyway that he can to assert his dominance, especially in the offensive zone. He’s a power-forward in every sense and he dominates as a result. His physicality and ability to win battles down low and along the boards is impressive, utilizing that size and puck protection skills to bully his way to the middle of the ice or front of the net, which really makes him dangerous.
He excels in the high traffic areas, showing great hands and puck-handling through defenders and getting around them with his long reach and even intercept plays to take advantage of mistakes. He moves extremely well for his size and is always tough to get the puck off of him because of his skillset and stature.
The Maple Leafs have wanted to play and get players with this mindset for a long time. Belchetz checks off all the boxes and executes it to a tee. You can’t teach size, but the way that he uses that to assert his dominance with the puck truly makes him an offensive threat. When he comes barrelling down the boards and crashes the middle, there’s really nothing you can do. There’s no quit to his game as he’s always in attack mode.
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Whether the Maple Leafs finish in the top-five remains to be seen. It’s still early and they can get out of this position to still make the playoffs. If they don’t, while it will be failure from the top down, it wouldn’t be all bad as they would get a top-end prospect for their pool.
