2025 TLN Maple Leafs Prospect Rankings: #18 Cade Webber

The TLN Maple Leafs prospect rankings were compiled by a panel of seven TLN writers, each ranking our top 20 prospects to form a consensus group ranking.

Rather than hard and fast limits on age or NHL games played to determine “prospect” eligibility, our group decided on a more nuanced approach to include any reasonably young player who is either under contract with the Leafs or on the club’s reserve list, who has not yet established himself as a full-time NHLer.

Cade Webber certainly possesses the size and shot-blocking qualities that Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube and general manager Brad Treliving covet. Webber’s towering 6-foot-7 frame is the first thing that will catch your attention when scouting him, and the 24-year-old carries some initial intrigue. Is there a real pathway to the NHL for the former Boston University defenceman? That remains a genuine question, as Webber prepares for his second season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.

There hasn’t been a standout quality to Webber’s game, aside from his willingness to throw his body in front of pucks. Webber recorded a goal and seven points in 60 regular season games during his first AHL season with the Marlies, and did not register a point in two playoff games. Offensive production simply isn’t his ticket to the NHL. He is a true stay-at-home defenceman but in the modern era, you need to have at least some facsimile of production, unless you’re constantly winning puck battles and possession share.

During his tenure at Boston University, Webber was paired with Lane Hutson, who is his positional antithesis as a freewheeling one-man offence unto himself, which propelled him to a Calder Trophy victory with the Montreal Canadiens. Webber was named Best Defensive Defenceman in Hockey East for the 2023-24 season, which speaks to his ability in his own zone. It’s now incumbent upon him to prove that he’s more than a total zero on the offensive end, especially if he faces NHL-calibre players.

“I take pride in being that defensive defenceman, blocking shots, doing the unsexy things,” Webber said at Maple Leafs development camp in July 2024. “That’s a big thing here. I know that they’re going to put all they can into developing me. I know this is just the beginning. I have a ton of more work to do. I’m looking forward to that.”

Webber isn’t going to throw punishing hits in the open-ice, but he’ll use his frame to cut off forwards entering the offensive zone with real fluency. You could see him potentially grading out as a third-pair defenceman in the NHL, but that may be contingent upon being paired with a puck-moving partner who can contribute in high-scoring contests. Webber skates well for his size which is always a plus-asset for any prospect and it’s his mobility and spatial intelligence that are his strongest points at this stage of his career. His willingness to block shots will also endear himself to Berube and Webber signed a two-year extension in October 2024, which begins during the 2025-26 season.

It’s important to do all the small things well and the Leafs don’t want him to play outside of his strengths, but it’s now incumbent upon Webber to show some improved offensive production during his second year at the AHL level with the Marlies. There are few roster spots available at the NHL level, but the Maple Leafs always value mobility and shot-blocking. Webber has some of these qualities locked down and his size will always be an asset. Can he show enough offensive wherewithal during his second AHL season to garner a look at the NHL? That’s the key question surrounding Webber entering the 2025-26 campaign.