Top Prospect Luke Haymes Reveals Truth Behind Why He Chose to Sign With the Maple Leafs

Late Monday evening, the Leafs announced that they had signed highly-coveted NCAA free agent Luke Haymes to a two-year entry-level contract.

On Wednesday, Haymes, along with fellow NCAA standout, defenseman John Prokop, who signed with the Leafs a few days earlier, took part in their first practice with the Toronto Marlies.

Haymes not only led the end of practice stretching session with Prokop, but was the last Marlie on the ice, putting in extra work with the development staff.

When he finally left the ice, the 6'1, 203-pound Ontario native was asked why he chose to sign with the Leafs over other teams, including his hometown Senators.

The Leafs and MLSE may not be able to outspend everyone when bidding on free agents thanks to the salary cap, but they have put a massive amount of money into creating one of, if not the best development and medical staffs in the NHL.

Those investments have paid off substantially in recent years with the likes of Bobby McMann and Joseph Woll, who have both developed into valuable NHL players. They have also helped the Leafs land a quite a few free agents over the years, including another NCAA standout in Jacob Quillan.

Many fans in Toronto were disappointed when the Leafs traded Fraser Minten away, but that left a hole in the Marlies' roster and has proven to be a key reason Haymes chose to join the Leafs. Along with opportunity, there was also familiarity between the 21-year-old and the Leafs as Haymes attended the Leafs' development camp in 2023.

Currently on an amateur try-out for the remainder of the season, Haymes will look to carry over his impressive offensive production to the AHL, and will also look to continue to utilize his physicality and strong 200-foot game to turn heads at the professional level.