Poor Production From Once Promising Maple Leafs Prospect Puts Future in Toronto in Jeopardy

Once viewed as a solid prospect within the Toronto Maple Leafs' pipeline, Nicholas Moldenhauer has begun to watch his stock fall in recent years and his performance in 2025-26 is going to be very telling in relation to his future standing with the club.

The 21-year-old was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the third round during the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He had come off a season with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, where he tallied 18 goals and 25 assists in 41 games.

Moldenhauer then improved to the tune of 30 goals and 75 points in just 55 games the following season before committing to the University of Michigan ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

In his first season, he scored 8 goals and 21 points in 41 games, which wasn't anything to write home about, but it was still a respectable season for a rookie. However, with just 3 goals and 10 points in 29 games this past season, questions are certainly being raised about his development.

To put it into perspective, Moldenhauer finished 14th on his team in scoring, which included 2025 first round pick William Horcoff scoring the same amount of points in 11 less games than the Leafs prospect.

The Mississauga native is going to be under quite a bit of pressure heading into the 2025-26 season, but he will be playing for a team that is expected to contend, giving him a great chance to play with gifted linemates and regain his scoring abilities that were lauded on draft day.

Moldenhauer understands that it was not the season anyone was expecting out of him and he took to the summer to work alongside Leafs veteran Scott Laughton, who he looks up to as a role model.

Despite owning a decent two-way game, with just 11 goals in 70 games against players his own age over the last two seasons, it's almost imperative that Moldenhauer gets back on track in 2025-26. Otherwise there's a chance that his prospects for making the Maple Leafs roster will remain forever slim.