6ix On Ice 2025 NHL Draft Roundtable

It’s Draft day! While the draft has had less of a focus in Leafsland over the past few years as it did in the mid-2010s, it’s still a big weekend for the team. Despite not having a first-round pick this year (yet?), the Leafs have found some exceptional value in the second round with Matthew Knies being the standout on the front.

We’ve put together a roundtable asking 6ix On Ice team a number of questions surrounding the team at this year’s draft.

Take a look:

1. Do you think the Leafs trade up to be in the first round?

Greg: I do not see a trade into the first round. The Leafs do not have many tradable assets, and priority will be on improving the current team. With a lot of dollars and term tied up in veterans, the Leafs have been telling us that they are living in the moment.

Will: I really don’t see this happening. It would take a few assets the Leafs don’t really have, and their focus should be on 2026. If anything, I can see them trading down to stock up more picks.

Anthony: I don’t think this is happening. I can see them packaging their picks to make a trade though. More likely, I think they’re going to use their draft picks to draft players, or trade down to have more darts to throw at the dart board.

Imran: Nope, I don’t think the upside is there. I think they stock up their cupboard for the future.

Ryan: It’s a weak draft class and so trading up to the first would likely be less expensive than years past. Unfortunately, Toronto’s in a spot where they need more picks, not less, whether that’s to trade or draft with. Pass on this one for me.

Khalid: This is a weird draft, with even the first overall pick far from a consensus. And while it’s easy to write this draft off as a weak class, there’s going to be a lot of teams that go off the board in the first round, taking a player that they like far beyond experts may predict. If the value is there, the Leafs could trade up to the first round, and Brad Treliving does some of his best work on the draft floor. While still unlikely, I wouldn’t be so quick to rule it out.

2. Who should the Leafs take with their second-round pick?

Greg: A boring answer is to take the best player available. Current needs on the roster will not dictate much for the Leafs’ pick. The strength of the prospect system, at least by volume, is on left defence. I expect there will be efforts to add forwards, but for the most part, we know the Leafs will favour size. There should be some interesting options on the board in the second round, at least, potentially even some players mocked near the bottom of the first round. A longer-term project might be exciting.

Will: They’ll probably take someone like Peyton Kettles, a massive defenceman who fits their recent style. But honestly, taking a swing on upside is always the way to go. If anyone starts to fall, the Leafs should be all over it.

Anthony: I think the obvious answer is the “best player available”. At the same time, with Niemelä playing in the SHL next year, part of me wants to draft a defenceman. We need some decent prospects on defence.

Imran: Echoing everyone else, definitely the “best player available”. Although I want to see a strong puck-moving defenceman with their first pick. A player like Sean Barnhill would be a great option. This team has had some good luck with players from Scottsdale, Arizona.

Ryan: I want a mobile, puck-moving RHD, but Toronto will probably lean for the more physical profile. Sean Barnhill, Anthony Allain-Samaké, Carter Amico, Daniil Skvortsov would be a few guesses from a physical profile defensively

Khalid: Brad Treliving has consistently prioritized good players who can play both ends of the ice since he was the GM in Calgary. He’s not afraid to take risks on guys that others may pass on. Carter Amico feels like a guy he would target.

3. Who should the Leafs stay away from in the second round?

Greg: The Leafs need pretty well everything in their draft cupboards, but low-skill players with size are not something that the Leafs should target at all. This team knows how important skill is, and has been good at finding size in free agency

Will: Anyone who can’t skate—the Leafs love size, but the cost is sometimes too high. The fundamentals need to be there.

Anthony: I am scarred from the Burke and Nonis days of “truculence”. So anyone who just has size and nothing else. This team needs to go for skill.

Imran: Goalies. This team has been burned too many times by goalie prospects and doesn’t need to go down this road again.

Ryan: Low-floor players, the Leafs tend to stay away from these kinds of guys early in the draft anyway, but they need to make sure this guy hits. With Grebenkin and Minten gone, securing a reliable pipeline from the Marlies will become increasingly important.

Khalid: This team went through their truculence era, and now it’s time to move on from that. Without much skill in the pipeline, this team needs high-upside players. Even if they don’t hit on everyone, taking players who have the potential to be impact NHLers in a few years is better than taking players who top out as replacement level NHLers.

4. How many picks do the Leafs make in the draft this year?

Greg: Currently with six picks, I will guess the Leafs maneuver a bit and end up selecting five players. Last year, the team seemed content to find interesting projects in the later rounds.

Will: I’ll say six, but they’ll end up with two or three more in the next couple of drafts from trading down.

Anthony: Seven. The team trades down once to grab another pick in one of the later rounds.

Imran: Four. I think the Leafs trade down for future picks given the lack of top-end options in the coming years. This is a good draft to avoid in order to stockpile for next year.

Ryan: Like Will, I think Toronto still makes six picks, but likely adds two or so depth picks in future years by trading back

Khalid: I can see this team making six picks, but not the six they walk in with. The team probably moves a mid round pick for a depth player on the draft floor, but then trades back to add another sixth-round pick. Treliving has had good instincts in this round, and odds are he doubles down with another pick in this round.

5. Does Mitch Marner get traded at the NHL Draft?

Greg: Marner will not get traded; instead I expect him to set up as a true free agent.

Will: By all accounts, Marner doesn’t want to help the team in any way, so no.

Anthony: He’s probably signing with a team within the first week of July.

Imran: His no-move applies until July 1, so absolutely not. Marner seems to have no interest in helping this team. A shame.

Ryan: No. He’s made it clear this free agency will be about maximizing his AAV not helping the Leafs. He’s gone.

Khalid: Treliving has worked miracles in the past with players who wanted to leave, with Matthew Tkachuk being the most notable. But lightning doesn’t strike twice, and I don’t think the Leafs get a dime out of Marner. He’s walking right to free agency.

6. Do you think this is going to be a memorable or regrettable draft for the Leafs?

Greg: With a long list of regrets over the past decade, the stakes for the Leafs at this year’s draft are not high enough to elicit much more regret. With their first draft under the new director of amateur scouting, Mark Leach, this draft will set the tone for the seasons ahead. Without a first-round pick in each of the next three drafts, it will be some time before there is much pressure or focus on the Leafs’ drafting practices and results.

Will: I don’t think there can be much regret, but if they pull off another Matthew Knies-esque pick in the second round, it could be very memorable.

Anthony: Not going to be memorable. With picks later in the draft, highly unlikely these players play games for the Leafs. If they can pick up a Minten, Cowan, Knies-level pick in the second round, that would be amazing. But highly unlikely.

Imran: Memorable in the way that it’s supposed to be a new direction for this Leafs team. I don’t think we’ll see any big moves, but it should give some indication on which way the winds are now blowing in Toronto.

Ryan: This will be a monumental offseason, no matter what happens as at least 25% of the “Core Four” will be gone. However, the Free Agency pool continues to dwindle, and I don’t know if Treliving has the assets to make swings in the trade market. Lots of hype but ultimately unmemorable.

Khalid: There is too much doom and gloom around the organization right now, but Treliving has shown the draft to be where he shines. While this won’t go down as a memorable draft over the next couple of days, I feel as though one of their picks takes a massive step forward and becomes a key part of the team in a few years. Odds are, it will be a late round pick.

Drafting up the results

We’re just hours away from the draft, and assuming nothing changes between now and then, the Leafs will hold the six selections in the draft. Whether they take one of these players or go off the board completely is anyone’s guess, but here’s hoping whoever they select develops into an impact NHLer for this team.