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The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has drafted and developed a number of youngsters currently playing in the NHL (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander), but the focus of prospect development under former GM Kyle Dubas and the last few seasons under Director of Amateur Scouting Wes Clark seemed to be on skill players, while GM Brad Treliving has begun to transition with a focus on young players with size.
As we did last year, we will rank the club’s top prospects over the upcoming weeks based on their progress in either the NCAA, CHL, Europe, ECHL or AHL and their potential to make the Leafs roster and contribute in the future.
Youngsters like Bobby McMann, Joseph Woll, Nick Robertson, Pontus Holmberg, and top-rated Matthew Knies have graduated, but here is a list of players eligible for the list who have not played more than 40 NHL games and are 25 years old or younger:
#40 - Wyatt Schingoethe – C (Western Michigan – NCAA)
#39 - Zach Solow - RW (Toronto - AHL)
#38 - Semyon Kizimov - RW -(Yekaterinberg - KHL)
#37 - Robert Mastrosimone – LW. (Toronto – AHL
#36 - Marko Sikic – RW (Sarnia – OHL, Newfoundland/Norfolk – ECHL)
#35 – Jacob Bengtsson – D (Boston College – NCAA)
#34 – Nicolas Mattinen – D (Straubling – Germany-DEL)
#33 – Matthew Barbolini – F (Miami(OH) – NCAA, Toronto – AHL)
#32 – Nathan Mayes – D (Spokane - WHL)
The Leafs under Treliving have been focusing more on adding players of a larger stature to their prospect pool as free agents on AHL contracts and with late-round draft picks. They may have struck paydirt in 2023 with big WHL blueliner Noah Chadwick and may be hoping to do the same with 2024 seventh-rounder Nathan Mayes.
The 6’3”, 170 lb. defenseman was selected 225th overall at the NHL Draft in Las Vegas after his first full season with the Spokane Chiefs, where he scored 16 points (1 goal, 15 assists) and 58 penalty minutes in 68 games.
The Hockey Prospect Black Book indicated that Mayes is steady defensively and “shows good awareness overall. He’s not overly mean as he doesn’t chase huge hits, but he’s physical when needed and makes stop down low. When defending the net front, he’s aware of his check, looking to box out and tying his stick.”
Offensively, “Mayes keeps it simple, moving the puck quickly and shooting when there’s an open lane.”
The Leafs do not have much time to evaluate Mayes, as they will have to sign him within two years as a CHL prospect, so they will have to see some progress from him this season to have him remain on their radar.
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
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