Toronto Maple Leafs Newest Group of Prospects

The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted eight prospects at the 2024 NHL entry draft. They selected four defensemen, three forwards, and one goaltender.

The Toronto Maple Leafs started their 2024 draft with a trade. They traded the 23rd overall pick to the Anaheim Ducks for picks 31 (first round) and 58 (second round).

Once the draft made it to the 31st overall selection, the Leafs picked Oshawa Generals defenseman Ben Danford. Danford is an 18-year-old right-shooting defenseman who is 6’1 and 190 pounds. He finished the 2023-24 season with one goal and 32 assists for 33 points in 64 games. Danford will return to the Oshawa Generals in the OHL for the 2024-25 season.
(All stats from eliteprospects.com)

After a quiet day one of the draft, the Leafs would be much busier on day two. They would make seven selections in the draft and make a trade that could impact the team’s future.

The second day of the NHL draft began the same way as the first for the Leafs. General manager Brad Treliving made a trade with the Florida Panthers. The Leafs traded the 58th overall pick (second round) to the Panthers for the 225th overall pick (seventh round) and Florida’s second-round pick in 2025.

Victor Johansson

Treliving and the Leafs had to wait until the fourth round to make their second pick of the 2024 NHL draft. With the 120th overall pick, the Leafs selected Victor Johansson from Leksands IF J20 / J20 Nationell. He is an 18-year-old left-shooting defenseman who is 6’2 and 167 Lbs. Johansson is known for being a very mobile two-way defenseman. He will play for Leksands IF J20 this season.

Miroslav Holinka

Next up for the Leafs was selecting Miroslav Holinka in the fifth round with the 151st overall pick. Holinka is an 18-year-old center from HC Ocelari Trinec in Czechia. He is 6’1, 185 Lbs, and plays well defensively. Holinka registered 20 goals and 21 assists for 41 points in 29 games for the HC Ocelari Trinec U20.

Alexander Plesovskikh

One pick later, the Leafs selected 17-year-old Alexander Plesovskikh from MKH Spartak Moskva of the MHL in Russia with the 152nd overall pick. Plesovskikh plays left-wing and is 6’2, 174 Lbs. He registered eight goals and nine assists for 17 points in 33 games for Mamonty Yugry in the MHL. He will remain in Russia this season.

Timofei Obvintsev

A few picks later, at 157th overall, the Leafs selected 19-year-old goaltender Timofei Obvintsev from Krasnaya Armiya Moskva of the MHL in Russia. He is a good-sized goaltender at 6’4, 178 Lbs. He posted a 7-7-0 record in 16 appearances last season and finished with a 2.96 GAA and a .921 SV%.

Matthew Lahey

The Leafs would then wait until the seventh round to make their final three selections. With the 200th overall pick, the Leafs selected 17-year-old Matthew Lahey from Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL. He is a large 6’5, 203-pound left-shooting defenseman. Lahey finished the 2023-24 season with two goals and 17 assists for 19 points in 54 games. He is known for being a physical defensive defenseman. Lahey is committed to playing for Clarkson University in the NCAA next season.

Sam McCue

With the 216th overall pick, the Leafs selected 18-year-old left-winger Sam McCue from the Owen Sound Attack in the OHL. McCue is 6’2, 187 Lbs, and is a hard-working two-way forward who battles for every inch of ice and loves to hit. He registered 23 goals and 14 assists for 37 points in 68 games split between the Peterborough Petes and Owen Sound Attack.

Nathan Mayes

With their final pick of the 2024 NHL draft, the Leafs used the 225th overall pick to select 18-year-old Nathan Mayes from the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL.

Mayes is a left-shooting defenseman who is 6’4, 194 Lbs. He plays an aggressive, hard-hitting style of defense that Leafs fans will enjoy when the time comes. Mayes registered one goal and 15 assists for 16 points in 68 games for the Chiefs last season.