Harry Nansi earned the top-line centre spot for the Owen Sound Attack as his 43-assist season led him to become a trusted focal point of the offence.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a slew of intriguing and talented prospects who are all vying for a chance to be part of the team's future in the coming years. Besides Gavin McKenna, there's names like Ben Danford, Tyler Hopkins, Tinus Luc Koblar, Ethan MacKenzie and Zac Olsen who are all expected to fight for a spot in the next couple of years.
They are going to have company though, as Harry Nansi has become one of the more interesting development stories in Toronto's system, and Owen Sound is now giving him a much more demanding role after his 56-point breakout.
Nansi's 43 assists make centre a much more revealing test than another year on the wing
So much so that his OHL team, the Owen Sound Attack, are trusting him to lead the offence as they appointed Nansi as their first-line centre as they kick off the 2026-27 season:
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Nansi, 20, is coming off a 56-point campaign that included 43 assists, a huge jump from his previous output of 23 points in 2024-25. He has great hands and a knack for finding the open man, but his skating was a bit of a concern. Working on it though, he made great strides in development camp this summer, with former AGM Hayley Wickenheiser praising his growth.
This is a much bigger test for Nansi though as the Attack look to capitalize on his breakout season last year.
The 43 assists already showed Nansi can create for teammates. Playing first-line centre now tests something different: whether he can create through the middle, handle more touches, support the puck defensively and still produce while carrying the responsibilities of the position.
To be fair to Nansi, he's also taking this change in stride and mentioned he's willing to do whatever in order to help his team:
It doesn't matter really. I'll do whatever to help the team. If coach wants me at centre, I'll play centre. If he wants me on my off-wing, I'll play on my off-wing
Having Nansi on the wing would certainly have given him a great look offensively, but at this stage the Maple Leafs need to see what more he can offer, and a more complicated or tougher role could end up showing them exactly what they need and his maturity and drive to help should earn him more praise from the front office.
Nansi's move to centre gives Toronto a chance to find out if his NHL projection has changed
The Maple Leafs also get a chance to see how Nansi does with driving his own line. No longer just a piece to an overall group, Nansi is the focal point. A first-line centre has a certain aura and responsibility attached to it, and Toronto gets the reap the benefits of a motivated Nansi.
It's going to be important too because in the future, Nansi could end up being a key part of Toronto's offence, and given his versatility and playmaking ability, he very likely could be one of those players who slide up and down depending on the situation - but thrives either way.
Nansi has to prove that last year wasn't a fluke and continue not only his offensive output but continue to show improved skating. If he can do that, then it's likely the Toronto Marlies is the next stop on his NHL journey, and a strong showing there could make his time with the Maple Leafs inevitable.
For now though, Toronto gets a perfect opportunity to see how Nansi deals with the pressures of being a first-line centre, and Nansi gets the chance to prove he's everything he showed he could be last year which could be considered a win for both parties.
If Nansi can maintain his playmaking while handling the pace and defensive demands of centre, Toronto may have to reconsider what it has in the 2025 fifth-round pick. A 6-foot-4 winger with passing ability is intriguing.
A 6-foot-4 player who can legitimately project down the middle is a considerably different asset.
Do you think Harry Nansi will end up playing with the Toronto Marlies in 2026-27?
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