The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t need to make a decision yet on former fifth-round draft pick Hudson Malinoski. Selected in 2023, 153rd overall, the Maple
The TLN Maple Leafs prospect rankings were compiled by a panel of seven TLN writers, each ranking our top 20 prospects to form a consensus group ranking.
Considering the way Toronto Maple Leafs fifth-round pick Hudson Malinoski’s playing career started, to be talking about him not only playing in the NCAA pushing for an NHL career, but thriving in his sophomore season is nothing short of a miracle.
And we're back! With the official rankings anyways. What better way to stave off the most boring period of the off-season than to discuss players ranked at the very end of a list that will, most likely, never play a single game in the NHL?
People love a good mid-round draft pick that pans out, and in the NHL you used to see those fairly often, but that’s obviously partially luck. If the Red Wings thought Nicklas Lidstrom was going to become a top-five defenseman in history, they wouldn’t have waited until the 53rd pick to take him.
Last year about this time Leafs fans were divided on whether they wanted to see a quick exit for the University of Minnesota or if it was better that Matthew Knies take a legitimate run at the college national championship before joining the Leafs.
It's been a while since I got to one of these prospect reports. In fact, the last one I have written and actually published was on Hudson Malinoski, and that was on November 17th – almost two months ago.
After having written similar pieces for some noteworthy prospects from the CHL leagues, Europe, and the USHL that I have added to my watch list this season, I was left in an awkward spot to deal with one further league: the NCAA.