Toronto Maple Leafs Miss Out as Edmonton Oilers Snag Young Promising Prospect

NHL prospect rights expired on June 1, and with several former picks being let go, there's going to be a wave of young promising prospects who are going to be available.

One exciting prospect was Finnish forward Viljami Marjala, who was Buffalo's 159th overall pick in 2021 and who spent the last few years in Finland and recently re-upped to play once again there in 2025-26.

The Maple Leafs certainly could have used him, however it seems like another Canadian team has swooped in, and one who already has loads of firepower.

This season, Marjala had 52 points in 54 games (8G, 44A) with only 8 PIM and adding three points in five playoff games.

He's an exciting and dynamic playmaker who relies on elite vision, and while he won't blow you away with his goal-scoring, is patient enough to put the puck away, and doesn't make bad decisions offensively.

His handles are out of this world and his ability to quickly adjust direction and use a bit of sleight of hand to get past defenders makes him a tantalizing add.

We recently touched on Marjala as a potential exciting piece for the Maple Leafs' growing farm system, however it seems like they missed out yet again.

The team lost out on Marjala but the team still has some hope. If they wanted to add another Sabre player who lost his rights, they can target Ethan Miedema; a hulking 6'4 power forward who skates like lightning and the Sabres' 109th overall pick in 2023.

They can also shift gears to a player like Kalem Parker, a smooth-handed puck-moving defenseman who isn't afraid to pinch and has a very solid ability to put in a pass wherever on the ice.

He's a bit smaller, and might have some issues playing with the bigger guys at the AHL/NHL level, but he has the tenacity and isn't afraid to get the opponents' face or lay in a big hit; plus his handedness plays a big factor being a righty.

There are a few players that Toronto has added already through the NCAA system, and their farm system while not spectacular; feels more solid after those moves.

Missing out on adding Marjala to that group certainly stings, but they have a lot of other options they can look at if they really wanted to bolster things.