Toronto Maple Leafs 2025 draft pick profile #5: Rylan Fellinger

If you were to ask any Toronto Maple Leafs fan what the ideal Brad Treliving player is, they’d almost all say a big right-handed defenceman.

So naturally, in the sixth round of the 2025 NHL Draft, the Leafs selected 6’4” right defenceman Rylan Fellinger. The blueliner is coming off two successful seasons with the Flint Firebirds of the OHL, and is notably Ontario-born. Toronto made sure to draft players with passion, guys who grew up in the Toronto area or Leafs fans themselves.

As a sixth-rounder, there’s little chance Fellinger ever ends up making an impact in the NHL. Heck, chances are he won’t even make it there. But what made Treliving and company take him? Well, let’s try to find out.

Who is Rylan Fellinger?

As mentioned, Fellinger was born in Wawa, Ont. He played his teenage years on the Soo Greyhounds AAA team before joining Flint in the OHL in 2023.

He’s never been a scorer; his highest scoring rate was back in 2022–23 when he scored 14 points in 25 games. This came in the GNML. Obviously, as a 6’4” defenceman, points aren’t his game. His strengths come in the defensive zone and on the breakout.

He really is a stay-at-home guy with great gap control and defensive instincts. He knows where to be and when to apply pressure. His stick is also an asset, as he uses his long reach to disrupt lanes and intercept passes.

He’s also a noted battle-winner, and became a force along the boards last year. Fellinger uses his size and strength well to come out of scrums with the puck, even if he probably shouldn’t.

And his breakout work is really good for his size and style. According to Neutral Zone, he completed 88% of his passes last season. That’s an extremely impressive number for Fellinger.

All of this sounds great, but to make it in the NHL, you need at least a little bit of offensive touch. And this is where Fellinger lacks.

There isn’t really much to work with; Fellinger doesn’t produce or create for his teammates. His offensive motor isn’t high, as he will almost never carry the puck himself or try to make plays. He’s a shutdown defender in every sense of the word, and these types of players don’t usually make it past being a seventh defenceman in the NHL.

His skating is good enough, but unless he develops a ton on the offensive end, it’s hard to project much from Fellinger in the big leagues.

Next steps and pick outlook

Fellinger will head back to the OHL next season with clear goals in mind: work for more offensively and produce more.

But there are other areas to improve as well. Fellinger only played on the second PK unit for Flint last year, which raises some red flags about how they trust him defensively. If he can work his way onto the top unit and succeed, there’s probably a future for him in the AHL as a shutdown guy.

All of this is normal for a sixth-round pick. There’s a reason he wasn’t taken until #185, but the Leafs saw something in him. 

He absolutely has an NHL body and puts it to good use. Six-foot-four right-handed shots do not grow on trees, so taking a swing on Fellinger makes a ton of sense, especially for Treliving. 

There’s plenty to like in Fellinger’s game. Even if he doesn’t make the NHL, he’ll be a great depth piece in the organization. But for Leafs fans’ sake, let’s hope he can polish his offensive game and make the push as a dependable shutdown defender one day.