3 extended observations from Leafs Prospect Challenge practice

Here are three extended observations from Friday’s prospect practice.

The subtleties in Gavin McKenna’s game popped once again in controlled drills

McKenna is a generational talent, and he once again looked the part at Friday’s practice. There are some obvious caveats, as it was just a practice, but we have to report accurately and honestly, and the subtleties in McKenna’s game really popped again. McKenna’s release is self-evident and he shoots the puck with a velocity that none of the other players could approximate. During a controlled drill, McKenna wired a shot off the crossbar and in past Sebastian Charvat. It’s no slight towards Charvat, who will play for the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL this season. There are few, if any NHL goaltenders who would’ve been able to stop that laser from McKenna.

It wouldn’t be fully beneficial to the rest of the prospects if McKenna worked to his full capacity within the offensive zone, but he did an outstanding job of making easy reads for his teammates. This sequence wasn’t captured on the below video, but McKenna retrieved an errant pass in his skates, flicked it onto his stick, tipped it to Luke Haymes in one smooth motion, then Haymes jetted the puck to Brandon Buhr at the back-post for a successful one-timer.

McKenna is going to own the City of Toronto in no time at all, although he admitted he tried to lay low, following a tremendously busy offseason. The 18-year-old will be living with John Tavares, and could be linemates with the 36-year-old when the season begins. He’s clearly too talented for the Prospects Challenge, and it will be compelling to view the little details in his game progress throughout his rookie year, and for the foreseeable future.

Ben Danford close to the verge of making NHL impact for Maple Leafs

Ben Danford is Daily Faceoff Toronto’s third-ranked Leafs prospect, and a burgeoning pro in the making. Danford is known as a defensive-minded blueliner with a nasty physical streak in the open ice. Toronto’s 2024 first-round pick took a major leap this summer as a member of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, helping the team lift the Calder Cup. Marlies head coach John Gruden (now elevated to the Maple Leafs’ bench) often spoke about the maturity in Danford’s game, and he looks more poised than ever with the puck.

“I’ve been someone who’s been kind of more defensive-minded my whole junior career, but something that I think I can keep using is my skating,” Danford said Friday. “And after I make that breakout pass, I make it up ice and provide some secondary offence up there.”

Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis highlighted Danford as the key player to watch from the Leafs this weekend. Here’s what Ellis wrote about Danford:

Danford joined the Marlies for their playoff run and forced himself into a full-time role. He has always been known for his defense-first game, but his offensive instincts have seemingly taken a nice step forward over the past few months. At this point, he’s a much more rounded defender than he was a year ago. While I (and most evaluators I’ve talked to) believe he’ll be a bottom-pairing defender, I expect him to be a good one at that. The floor is solid here; we’ve all heard the Chris Tanev comparisons. He’s strong, physical, and gives you little space to work with. If he can find another gear offensively, he’ll be an absolute steal for Toronto.

“I think coming and playing with the Marlies and going that deep and understanding winning habits and just being able to play at that pace is going to be really, really crucial,” Marlies head coach Steve Sullivan said of Danford. “I don’t think he’s far away. I’m very, very excited about Danny and his expectations of trying to make the hockey club. He’s coming in here wanting to take a spot in that top-six, and that’s what he’s shooting for. And we were talking this morning, so he looks good.”

Aside from McKenna, Hayes Hundley was the best player in practice

An unlikely candidate emerged as the best player during Friday’s practice, McKenna notwithstanding. Hayes Hundley was excellent form throughout Friday’s sessions. Hundley was the most vocal player on the ice, communicating constantly and loudly with his primary partner, Blake Smith. he won puck battles with tenacity, and he did well to break up odd-man rushes in controlled 2-on-1s.

This evaluation comes with a caveat, as it’s based solely off Friday’s practice. Hundley played one game for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies last season, and didn’t rank within Daily Faceoff Toronto’s top 20 prospects this summer. The 20-year-old signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs in March, and he carries the physical traits that the previous regime were looking for. We’re not going to project a larger role for Hundley just yet, but he could be one of the players with the most to prove this weekend.

Quick hits

• We’ll have a larger profile on Harry Nansi shortly. Nansi once again showed significant improvement, and he’s gained another quarter-step since development camp. It’s been a key point of emphasis for Nansi, who is showing that he’s capable of playing either centre or wing, although Nansi views himself primarily as a centre. Nansi blocked a huge shot from the point during controlled drills, and he used his speed well throughout the day. There was a rep where Nansi received the puck and blew past Matyas Man, before racing in alone on goal. It was another stellar day of work from Nansi, who was listed as the Maple Leafs’ most improved prospect at July’s development camp.
• Noah Chadwick looked more confident than he ever has, and he’ll likely be paired with Ben Danford throughout the weekend. Danford is ahead of Chadwick as a prospect, but the 21-year-old benefited from a full season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, and won’t make mistakes against players within his age cohort. Could Chadwick eventually emerge as a third-pair option for the Leafs? This season will surely be pivotal.
• I want a larger look at Cooper Williams. Williams is Daily Faceoff Toronto’s 17th-ranked prospect. He admittedly didn’t catch my eye during development camp, but he was skating with renewed pace on Friday. Williams was selected in the fifth round of the 2026 NHL Draft, and we’ll be monitoring his all-around game, coming off consecutive 57-point seasons with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades.