The Toronto Maple Leafs have chosen not to sign draft prospects Matthew Hlacar and Nathan Mayes, moving on from two recently drafted youngsters in the organization.
The Leafs let the June 1st signing deadline for two prospects, Matthew Hlacar and Nathan Mayes, pass without signing either, allowing both players to become eligible to be drafted in this year's NHL Entry Draft.
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Reported by PuckPedia, both players went unsigned, with Mayes not being signed in the second year of his signing eligibility, Hlacar not signed to a Bona Fide offer.
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Hlacar, who was drafted 217th overall by Toronto in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, was needing to be signed by June 1st despite being drafted last year as he was neither committed to an NCAA program nor signed to a professional contract.
The Leafs let two Treliving-era project picks walk as Toronto moves on from two prospects who lacked growth
Nathan Mayes, drafted 225th overall by Toronto in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the last pick in the draft, is a 6'4 defenseman who struggled to find consistency since being drafted.
Mayes had an offensive boost in his production, going from a goal and 16 points in 68 games in his draft year to six goals and 27 points in 56 games last season, to a drop with two goals and 16 points in 63 games.
Hlacar, selected 217th last year, was taken as an overager as a project pick, going from Jr. B hockey to the OHL, with seven goals and eight points in 43 games with the Kitchener Rangers.
One of the OHL's leading physical players, Hlacar's heavy intensity caught Leafs scouts eyes, but would take just a minor scoring step with six goals and 12 points in 51 games, along with multiple suspensions on the season.
Having won the Memorial Cup on Sunday, Hlacar did not feature for the Rangers in the tournament, despite playing in their OHL championship run.
Along with Hlacar and Mayes, five other players had their signing rights expire, including Canadian international goaltender Ryerson Leenders, a draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres.
The seven re-entry players, if not drafted, can commit to an NCAA program, or seek a professional contract elsewhere, whether an NHL entry level deal or minor league contract.
Letting Hlacar and Mayes go is a quiet signal that Chayka's Leafs are done drafting size over skill
Although missing out on two seventh round picks isn't a difficult loss for Toronto, it's a symbol of a much critiqued point of the Brad Treliving era in an emphasis of focusing on size.
Viewed as being too old-fashioned on the necessity of size, Hlacar and Mayes are two examples of low-upside big players who were taken for their size, but never developed as hoped by Toronto.
It's a reflection of Toronto's main roster that emphasized the importance of both being tall and aggressive, a shift in the roster that crashed and burned with the Leafs collapse last season.
Although the vice versa strategies of predecessor Kyle Dubas, taking undersized forwards who lacked physical strength, also spawned inconsistent results.
Neither size nor skill alone are an end-all for a team when it comes to building a team, and knowing how to draft future NHLers will come from avoiding players who lack a clear vision on making the league.
The hiring of Judd Brackett as Assistant GM Monday, someone who has focused on adding skill while still drafting NHL average sized players, could be the balance needed by Toronto in the draft room.
John Chayka's Leafs may find going down the middle could be a pathway to success, and whether under 6'0 or above, talent be the focal point over outdated views on intangibles.
Should the Leafs be willing to draft smaller, skilled players this upcoming draft?
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