With the Traverse City tournament having come to a close, the Leafs' prospects who were in attendance are now back in Toronto in anticipation of training camp. There were a number of standouts in the tourney for the Leafs, including 2023 1st round pick Easton Cowan, 2022 2nd round pick Fraser Minten and 2021 6th round pick Vyacheslav Peksa. However, there was another pick within the organization who stood out - one who does not yet have a contract with the team. That may change soon.
Per European scout Sam Tirpak, the Leafs may look to lock up 19-year-old Brandon Lisowsky to an entry-level contract after the former Saskatoon Blades sniper led the Maple Leafs in goals during the Traverse City prospects tournament, scoring 4 times in 3 games.
Lisowsky was a 7th round pick by the Maple Leafs in the 2022 draft and was actually ranked much higher by Tirpak. Size has been the biggest concern for Lisowsky, who stands just 5'9. He is a stout 5'9, however, at 180 pounds.
Lisowsky is coming off of back-to-back seasons in the WHL with more than 30 goals. He produced 33 goals and 58 points in 68 games in his 4th year with the Blades in 2021-22 and followed that up with a 38-goal, 71-point season in 65 games in 2022-23.
Tirpak was quick to point out that, because he'd be eligible for an ELC slide, Lisowsky's ELC would not count towards the Leafs' 50-contract limit. Not that it would matter, as the Leafs are only at 47/50 contracts at the moment - though if Noah Gregor's PTO is successful, they'd be at 48/50.
