2026 TLN Maple Leafs Prospect Rankings: #20 Nick Moldenhauer

The TLN Maple Leafs prospect rankings were compiled by a panel of six 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.

This year’s TLN Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Rankings series kicks off with Nick Moldenhauer at #20.

It’s now been four years since Moldenhauer was selected in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft, and he’s continued to show steady growth in his game since. The young winger was originally selected while playing with the USHL’s Chicago Steel, and has now spent the last three seasons in the NCAA with the University of Michigan.

This past season, the Mississauga native put up the best numbers of his college career to date, with 15 goals and 16 assists in 40 games. He tallied a goal and two assists in the Big Ten Conference Championship to help the school to the NCAA Championship, where he added a goal and an assist, before the school was eliminated in the semifinals of the Frozen Four. Provided he doesn’t make a jump to the pros, he’s set to serve as assistant captain with the Wolverines this upcoming season.

Moldenhauer’s ranking of 20th is a slight dip from his finish at 16th in TLN’s 2025 ranking, though this is mostly due to the increased strength of Toronto’s prospect pool. Last summer, The Leafs Nation’s Arun Srinivasan wrote that the key for the young forward’s 2025-26 season was to increase his production:

The season outlook for Moldenhauer entering the 2025-26 campaign is pretty simple: Moldenhauer needs to simply produce more consistently during his third season at the NCAA level, while working to improve his game away from the puck. If Moldenhauer doesn’t score prolifically, the rest of the improvements to his game may not matter as much. He’s playing on a loaded Michigan team that ought to contend for the NCAA title, which would also work wonders for his confidence. Moldenhauer is one of the Leafs’ most exciting prospects when he’s at the top of his game, but it’s been two years since he lit up the USHL, and we need to see his scoring touch come alive again.

And the 22-year-old did just that. His 31 points totals the same amount earned in his first two college seasons combined, showcasing the strength of his playmaking and hockey IQ. Listed at 5-foot-10, 180 lbs., he’ll need to keep pushing his offensive game to have a shot at eventually making the NHL, but this past year proved he’s back on the right track. In the meantime, a move to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies is not of the question this Fall, but will first require a strong performance at training camp.