Maple Leafs Prospect Roundup: Danford’s new digs, Cowboy gets his first, Nansi and Holinka on fire

Danford and his new teammates were back in action against Saginaw on Sunday, and Danford once again helped set up the opening goal before adding another helper late in a 6-2 win for Brantford. Through two games with his new club, Danford has already compiled as many points as he did in eight games with Oshawa to begin the season, and he is +5 after being -10 with the floundering Generals.

Offensive production isn’t exactly Danford’s calling card, but with his mobility and hockey sense, it’s always felt like there was more meat on the bone in that regard. It’s only a couple of games, but Danford’s start with Brantford is encouraging in terms of continuing to develop his offensive game, and that could ultimately help him secure a spot on Canada’s roster for the upcoming World Juniors. He will be in tough to crack that lineup, but adding a bit of scoring punch to his already refined defensive tool kit won’t hurt his chances.

Notes from the rest of the prospect pool:

• Toronto sports fans could be forgiven for missing it, given what else was at stake for the city on Saturday night, but Easton Cowan had arguably his best game in the NHL to this point, and he was rewarded with his first goal as a Leaf in a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Cowan was noticeable throughout the contest, looking more confident holding onto pucks and making plays under pressure, and that confidence was most apparent when the rookie called for a pass from John Tavares before rifling a wrist shot past Flyers netminder Daniel Vladar. Cowan has carved out a spot in Toronto’s top six for the time being, and even saw time on the top power play unit on Monday against Pittsburgh. It looks like he might be in the NHL to stay and on his way to graduating from the Maple Leafs prospect ranks.

• With Cayden Primeau’s struggles in the backup role for the Leafs, it looked like there might be an opportunity for Dennis Hildeby to get into an NHL game or two before Joseph Woll is ready to go , but he has also struggled in his last couple of AHL appearances. Hildeby has now lost his last three starts with the Marlies, allowing 12 total goals on 74 shots to bring his save percentage for the season down to .890. Conversely, Artur Akhtyamov was fantastic in his last start for the Marlies, stopping 36 of the 38 shots he faced in Sunday’s 4-2 victory over the Chicago Wolves.
• Jacob Quillan has maintained his high level of play to start the season for the Marlies. He picked up an assist in a losing effort to Syracuse last Wednesday and added two more helpers in Sunday’s victory, bringing him to nine points in nine games for a share of the team scoring lead. Quillan has been an important player for the Marlies in all situations, and though his path to the NHL is blocked at the moment, he continues to prove worthy of a look with the big club down the road.

• 2024 fifth-rounder Miroslav Holinka has been a force for the Edmonton Oil Kings so far this season, and he popped off in a big way over the weekend. He had a goal and three assists in Saturday’s 6-1 win over Medicine Hat, and followed that up with a goal and two more assists in Sunday’s 8-4 victory against Swift Current. After posting 45 points in 47 games as a rookie in the WHL last season, Holinka is already up to 22 points in just 15 games to start the 2025-26 campaign. Already under contract with the Leafs, Holinka looks like he’ll be ready to compete at the AHL level by the end of the season.

• One of Toronto’s fifth-round picks from the 2025 draft, Harry Nansi, is also tearing up the competition in the OHL. Nansi earned OHL Player of the Week honours after posting a goal and eight assists in just three games, including a five-point effort on Sunday against the Erie Otters. Through 17 games, he has already matched the 23 points he posted in 67 games a season ago. Nansi has a long way to go in terms of improving his overall mobility, but the skill and offensive vision are clearly there.

• Nick Moldenhauer has had his fair share of struggles at the NCAA level with Michigan, but he is looking to bounce back and refine his game in his junior year. He got off to a fine start with two points in his first three games playing on the Wolverines’ second line, but his goal on Saturday night was just his second point in the seven games since then. There is more to Moldenhauer’s game than raw offensive production, but he will need to find the scoresheet more often to provide himself with more opportunities to affect the game on a nightly basis.

Statistics from EliteProspects.com & CHL.ca