One of the major narratives behind the Toronto Maple Leafs heading into this summer was its depleted farm system. The Leafs were among the teams ranked at the bottom, as years of trading picks and prospects led to a thin cupboard.
But that significantly changed under John Chayka. The Leafs began to sell off pieces, looking to find as many futures as possible to replenish the team’s stockpile.
A good example of that was the Brandon Carlo trade with the St. Louis Blues. Chayka cut bait with Carlo, sending him to the Central Division for two third-round picks.
Make no mistake. Those two third-rounders are not going to change the Maple Leafs’ organization. It’s not like they’re going to suddenly become NHL superstars. But then again, you never know. The picks turned into forward Zac Olsen and right-shot blueliner Mans Gudmundsson. Those are two lottery tickets the Leafs would not have had if the deal hadn’t happened.
That’s just a small sample of how much the Leafs’ prospect pipeline has changed in one summer.
In addition to the big fish that was Gavin McKenna, the Maple Leafs brought in college free agents Brandon Buhr, Hayes Hundley, and Vinny Borgesi. They join other prospects like Tinus-Luc Koblar, Artur Akhtyamov, and Ben Danford, who were already in the system.
If most of the pieces can turn into bona fide NHLers, the Maple Leafs could have a drastically different future, one that could actually support Auston Matthews and William Nylander as they get into their 30s.
Maple Leafs Could Tear Everything Down and Not Go Through Painful Rebuild
An inevitable conversation is the possibility of a rebuild. Ideally, the aforementioned names, along with others in the Maple Leafs system, could gradually make their way to the NHL. Such a situation could allow the organization to turn the roster over, precluding the need for a full rebuild.
But if it came to that, the Leafs could tear everything down and have solid pieces to build around.
Assuming just about every veteran goes out the door, a Maple Leafs team built around Matthew Knies, Easton Cowan, and Gavin McKenna doesn’t look all that bad.
Yes, the blue line would look a little bare. But that’s where the hope of some prospects emerging as full-time pieces could alleviate the situation.
If Akhtyamov can turn into a legit number-one goalie, well, putting up with a 40-year-old Sergei Bobrovsky at the end of his current contract wouldn’t trigger a mad scramble for a new goalie. In fact, Leafs fans could see Akhtyamov be the guy in the crease as soon as the 2027-28 season.
Those are all assumptions. But they’re the kind the Maple Leafs hope will come to pass.
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Toronto Must Be Patient
The hardest part of this entire conversation is patience. There might be a temptation to rush some younger prospects into the NHL. As fans know, that’s always counterproductive. It’s rare to see a young player hit the ground running in the NHL while still being a teenager.
Fortunately, the Maple Leafs aren’t in any rush. The team’s veteran core can still hold it for another couple of seasons. If a Stanley Cup comes in that timeframe, well, a rebuild wouldn’t matter.
Cup or not, the Leafs actually have a chance to pull off a very quick retool/rebuild, similar to what the Montreal Canadiens did.
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