With the 153rd overall pick, the Leafs draft Harry Nansi

With their other fifth round pick at 153rd overall, the Maple Leafs chose Harry Nansi!

That's another guy off my late round forward targets that Toronto has drafted this year. Here's a quick refresher of what I wrote earlier:

2025 NHL Draft Profiles: Late Round Forwards

There are several forward prospects not ranked very highly, or at all, by almost any scouting outlet who I think would make for great swings in the later rounds.

PPP LeafsBrian S

Nansi is interesting to me for a few reasons. First, he's already an excellent player when it comes to everything but producing points. He's very strong defensively, and he does a lot of little things that help his team on both sides of the puck to drive possession and create scoring chances. Second, he's very young — less than a week away from not being eligible until next year's draft. If he's so good at pro-level things already, is there more room for his offense and production to spike next year and be on par with the older birthdays in this year's draft who are almost a year older than he is? Third, I think he's already showing flashes of some decent skill – not of a hidden offensive juggernaut by any means, but capable of handling the puck, passing it, shooting it, and creating chaos for his linemates as a supporting winger.

To me, he just makes for a perfect late-round swing. He has those pro habits and impacts, and the things he's good at could make him a depth, defensive centre in the NHL even if the offense doesn't come as far as you'd like. He has size, he has room to fill out, he has time to work with skills coaches.

Scouting Reports

From Elite Prospects:

“Some nights, Harry Nansi looks like a star,” That’s how Dir. of North American scouting Mitchell Brown opened a December report. We all saw that side of Nansi and were all tempted to push him way up our board during the season.

Nansi’s passing skills are at the forefront of his skill set. Capable of hooking, slipping, and lobbing the disc around sticks, and doing it as defenders collapse on him, he transforms into a pacey, high-end playmaker in some shifts, displaying uncommon awareness for a bottom-six OHLer. A 6-foot-3 frame and handling skills only boost his talent. Nansi can access lanes that others can’t and push through checks.

A non-stop worker, he pursues opponents, pushes them off the puck, and holds it until he finds a play, always wanting to attract and beat pressure to create scoring opportunities for linemates. Owen Sound put a cap on his ice time this season, however, due to puck management issues and a lack of mobility.

“His stride limits him at some level – his upper body bounces heavily in the crossover, and knee bend isn’t always there, but it’s clear there is runway to become more explosive,” wrote Brown in a February report.

More than most, the grades we gave Nansi are a projection. They represent what he could become with more consistency in his play and mobility development. If he can earn a top role next season, he could open up some eyes and significantly boost his profile as a prospect. Nansi is a long-shot NHLer, but one of the most entertaining and intriguing prospects teams could target in the middle rounds of the draft.

From Will Scouch:

I want Harry Nansi to be a thing so badly. I’ve really cooled on him in recent viewings as the skating stride and the overall pace of his game is so, so questionable, but he does so many things correctly and well that I just can’t ignore him. I’m also positive that there are some easy-to-fix issues in his game that simply are not there. No other player in my dataset drive more of a percentage of his team’s offense through shot assists as Nansi, but he never shoots the puck himself. He’s got the frame and power to get to the net so I’d love to coach him to really push to that area more often. A fantastic forechecker, capable of getting behind defenses easily and creating chances in front, Nansi brings a tremendous amount of upside and potential to the game. Coupled with this, he’s almost eligible for the NHL Draft in 2026, and based on how raw his game is as we speak, I could easily see him take a leap with a good summer refining his skating mechanics, and good reflection in the video room to really dig into how to drive better results. Getting quicker on his feet in chaotic situations would really unlock more defensive upside to go with his naturally physical style of play, but the playmaking potential can’t be denied. With better toys to play with next year, Nansi could see huge benefits, but he’s still a very raw project that will take time to develop.

From McKeen's Hockey:

There seems to be two schools of thought regarding Nansi in the scouting community this year. One has him as a diamond in the rough due to his raw physical tools and high work rate. The other is concerned about his upside due to his awkward stride and limited skill/production. We fall mostly in the second group. Nansi does have some intriguing tools. He protects the puck well using his big frame and once he fills out, he could really drive play below the goal line. He also has a high compete level. But he’s a bit like bambi on the ice; his stride needs a lot of work. Simply put, Nansi is the epitome of a long-term project.