Corey Pronman's latest pipeline rankings have the Maple Leafs up to 12th in the NHL after an A+ draft, a major jump from 26th a year ago that reflects more than simply landing Gavin McKenna.
Pronman's article went through each team's pipeline with a draft grade for 2026. The Maple Leafs found themselves with an A+ ranking from Pronman while ranking 12th - a huge leap from their 26th ranking in 2025.
Headlined by Gavin McKenna, the rest of the pipeline has some intriguing talent s who could end up finding their way into the Maple Leafs' future plans, but it all starts with the 2026 first overall pick.
McKenna changed Toronto's ranking overnight but their talent extends beyond one player
Obviously winning the lottery and getting the first overall pick certainly helps, and adding a potential phenom in McKenna will skyrocket your prospect pipeline for sure. It was pure luck that the Maple Leafs won with only 12% odds, and John Chayka has to thank his lucky stars that his tenure started with such a break.
But he didn't exactly waste the rest of his draft, as several players make Pronman's list including Mans Gudmundsson (#3), Patriks Plumins (#5), Ethan MacKenzie (#6), and Alex Bilecki (#11). Familiar names also found themselves at the top with Easton Cowan at #4, and Tinus Luc Koblar as the team's #2 prospect according to Pronman.
The reason the draft was an A+ was that the team actually addressed needs. They added mobile two-way defencemen with MacKenzie, Gudmundsson, and Bilecki while adding an intriguing goaltending prospect in Plumins (also Finnish prospect Juuso Ainasto), then also went hard on the defensive two-way centres like Zac Olsen.
It wasn't a draft like previous years where players were potential fits or just projects who had size or toughness as a main attribute.
Toronto also created extra draft capital through its offseason trades. Brandon Carlo brought back two third-round picks, while the Joseph Woll-Simon Benoit deal added another third-round selection along with Emil Andrae and Samuel Ersson.
Toronto finally has a prospect pool that can support an aging NHL core
Coming into arguably the biggest job in hockey, Chayka didn't have a lot to work with at the start. He had a few decent prospects and young players but nothing outstanding, while also needing to manage an aging core that needed a serious shakeup.
Well, the draft certainly addressed the needs of not only adding a proper prospect pipeline but also addressed what the team will do when they move on from names like Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Not only that, but Chayka's aggressiveness this summer has the potential to pay off huge.
He spent $68-million on Darren Raddysh in a sign-and-trade, traded away mainstays in the lineup, added a bunch of proper role players who can kill penalties and take defensive minutes off the stars - he completely transformed the roster.
The ranking jump matters because Toronto's NHL roster is still built around an older veteran core. McKenna gives the organization a potential franchise forward, while Cowan, Koblar, Gudmundsson, MacKenzie and Bilecki give the Leafs more credible young options behind him.
For the first time in years, Toronto has a pipeline that can realistically help replace expensive veterans instead of forcing management to solve every roster hole through trades and free agency.
Chayka's ability to prepare to win-now and make sure his future is a bit more balanced and ready to step in should be commended, as being out of the league for five years made some question his ability.
But with an A+ draft and several key additions, it seems like Chayka has at least silenced his critics for now.
What grade would you give John Chayka's offseason?
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