Tinus Luc Koblar nearly upset Team Canada and gave the Maple Leafs a glimpse of their future
Photo credit: Tinus Luc Koblar/Instagram
Norway nearly upset Canada at the World Championship, with Leafs prospect Tinus Luc Koblar providing what would have been the winning goal.
A near upset by Norway against Canada came down to a goal by Leafs prospect Tinus Luc Koblar, who put the Norwegians up 5-4 late in the third period for the shock lead.
Koblar tipped a shot from Mathias Emilio Pettersen in front of Canadian netminder Cam Talbot, getting the goal with 10 minutes remained that put Norway ahead in what looked like Canada on upset watch.
The taste of victory for Norway would soon sour as Macklin Celebrini fed Ryan O'Reilly for a goal to tie the game back up. Celebrini and Evan Bouchard would create a setup to Mark Scheifele for the game winner in overtime, giving Canada the 6-5 win.
Tinus Luc Koblar leads the way for Norway at the Worlds and nearly pulls off the upset against Canada
Norway came within striking distance of a major upset against the Canadians, and it would have been Tinus Luc Koblar to seal the deal for the Norwegian team.
Drafted 64th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, Koblar played the entire season in the SHL with Leksands, scoring eight goals and 14 points in 47 games. Koblar is expected to join Rogle next season with Leksands relegated from the SHL.
Koblar has three goals and five points at the World Championship, leading the Norwegians in points despite being just 18-years-old, tied with 2025 sixth overall pick Porter Martone for first in the draft class, above third pick Anton Frondell and seventh pick James Hagens.
Having been viewed as both a potential breakout candidate and a player taken higher than consensus, Koblar has proven the latter to be worth where he was selected.
The Leafs have found a potential steal in Tinus Luc Koblar, a year after the team was questioned over the pick
Tinus Luc Koblar is proving tons of people wrong about his abilities, that including my own analysis of him as a prospect that doubted his NHL projectability due to a low floor and a raw game.
The steps taken by Koblar this season have shown a far greater progression than even some of his biggest proponents could have suggested, with him being a full-time SHL player well above the best case scenario.
Koblar is looking increasingly like a player who could end up as a middle-six center, beginning to earn a potential 2C upside in his projection.
The man largely responsible for drafting Koblar is Swedish regional scout Christoffer Hedlund, who has shown himself a worthy successor to longtime scout Thommie Bergman as an impeccable eye for prospects out of Sweden.
Although Norway didn't gain the ultimate surprise win that would have made an even bigger name for himself, Tinus Luc Koblar was able to prove that he could be a very real future talent for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the coming years.
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