6-foot-5 Maple Leafs prospect earns himself an unexpectedly large opportunity

Drafted in the 7th round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft with the 200th pick, Lahey spent last season in the BCHL with the Nanaimo Clippers. This season, the hulking left-shot defenseman moves up to the USHL as a member of the Fargo Force, and as fate would have it, the absurdly large 18-year-old has already been penciled in on the top D pairing.

While it's only preseason, this is a significant step and a huge opportunity for the young defenseman. Playing in the USHL allows Lahey to maintain his NCAA eligibility and gives him some tougher competition.

He certainly has the size Brad Treliving loves and played on the top pairing for his BCHL team, but Lahey will need time to refine his game. 2 goals and 15 assists in 54 BCHL games is fine for a big-bodied defensive defenseman, but as one of the youngest players in the draft, there may yet be some untapped potential there as well.

Fargo starting Lahey on the top pair is good sign that they already think highly of this player and really like his skill set. He won't sniff pro hockey for at least 2-3 seasons yet, but for now he'll be playing big minutes against his peers before he moves on to face men in the NCAA.

Another interesting detail is that Lahey was the first Nanaimo Clipper in eighteen years to be drafted into the NHL directly from the Clippers. There's something about this kid that stands out and the Leafs may have been wise to have taken a late-round flyer on him.

Have the Leafs unearthed another late round gem? It's early to make that distinction, but the potential is certainly there for Lahey to make some noise over the next few seasons. At 6'5" and 203 pounds, he already has the size to be a pro. Now, it's just about giving him what he needs to be able to put it all together to give him the best shot possible to succeed. The best thing about this pick is that time is on their side, so the Leafs don't need to rush anything and can allow the Victoria, BC native to develop at his own pace.

Source: Elite Prospects
Matthew Lahey Stats