Meet Harry Nansi, Maple Leafs prospect and NHL Draft steal

Meet Harry Nansi, Maple Leafs prospect and NHL Draft steal originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Toronto Maple Leafs don't have the best prospect list in the NHL.

But one guy in their system appears to be outdoing his draft position: Harry Nansi.

Here's what to know about Nansi:

Who is Harry Nansi?

Nansi is a Toronto Maple Leafs prospect who currently plays in the OHL for the Owen Sound Attack.

When was Harry Nansi drafted?

Harry Nansi was the No. 135 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

That was in the fifth round.

Why Harry Nansi is a sleeper prospect for Maple Leafs

Alex Hobson of The Leafs Nation has a great explanation here:

At the time of filing, he has 34 points in 26 games. To put things into perspective here, Ryan Roobroeck, a forward for the Niagara IceDogs who is expected to be a first-round pick in 2026, has 22 points in 22 games so far. That’s not to say that Nansi would have been a top-10 pick in this draft had he been born a week later, but the fact that he’s hanging, and in some cases, outpacing the draft-eligible players around him is a very good sign for the Maple Leafs.

Although his size is perhaps the most immediately appealing factor, standing at 6-foot-3 and 179 pounds, much of Nansi’s skill revolves around the playmaking side of the game. This is evident in the fact that he’s got seven more assists in half the games than he did all of last season points to that, and he’s had several moments this year to put the OHL on notice, including a five-point effort against the Erie Otters to help earn him player of the week honours in the OHL.

The Leafs won't be in any rush to move Nansi up higher.

But he appears to be a player who has a future in the Toronto organization.

And for a fifth-round pick, that's not a bad outcome at all.

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