Maple Leafs Officially Announce Prospect Showdown Roster - Here Are the Names to Watch
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially announced their roster for the upcoming Prospect Showdown and it involves some highly anticipated names set to make an impact.
With the Toronto Maple Leafs fans focused on who the current crop of players are that will try to lead the team to glory, there also needs to be some attention paid to the future stars who are vying for their chance to be impact players down the line.
They'll have a good idea of what they have after the Prospect Showdown, a two-day event that will see the team play both Ottawa and Montreal rookies as a way to gauge their potential and who could be some diamonds in the rough.
So with the two games only a few days away, who exactly is going to be a part of that roster?
Well now we know thanks to the team officially announcing their Prospect Showdown roster on Tuesday.
Which Maple Leafs Prospects to Keep an Eye On This Weekend
You see some obvious names like Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, Jacob Quillan and Noah Chadwick but there's also newcomers like Luke Haymes, Borya Valis, as well as 2025 draft picks Matthew Hlacar, Harry Nansi, and Rylan Fellinger.
Arguably it's going to be Cowan and Danford getting the most attention considering that the former has a legitimate shot to make the 2025 roster, meanwhile Danford has the potential to be the next shutdown defenseman after Chris Tanev retires down the line.
But we also can't ignore Valis, who just had an 81-point season in 2024-25 and could be a dark horse offensive presence in a couple of years. We've also got the NCAA signings like Haymes and John Prokop who are both highly touted college players clamouring for a spot in the team's future plans.
One huge name to watch though is Artur Akhtyamov, as the young goaltender could end up being part of the contingent with Joseph Woll later on; especially if Toronto decides to move on from Dennis HIldeby to bring in a top-six forward.
Why This Tournament Matters for Toronto's Future
While it's always great to see who the next big star is for the team, it's definitely a showcase for those who could be perfect stop-gap options down the line. Someone like Jacob Quillan could be a perfect 4C while they move on from Scott Laughton next year.
Plus you've got questions about Oliver Ekman-Larsson and regression, so if they wanna move on from him they have Prokop, as well as William Villeneuve and Victor Johansson so when OEL's time is up, you've got perfect replacements in tow.
This isn't just about what comes in the next year or two, but we're looking at potentially the next new crop of roster members who will be part of the team in five or six years.
Though, there is one thing that we can all look forward to with the Prospect Showdown.
Hockey's back, baby!
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 9 | 816 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Officially Announce Prospect Showdown Roster - Here Are the Names to Watch Which prospect are you most excited to watch in the Prospect Showdown? | ||
| Easton Cowan | 606 | 74.3 % |
| Ben Danford | 119 | 14.6 % |
| Miroslav Holinka | 52 | 6.4 % |
| Artur Akhtyamov | 39 | 4.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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