The Toronto Maple Leafs have taken Yaroslav Fedoseyev with the 161st overall pick in the sixth round of the 2026 Entry Draft. They made a quick trade to swap next year's pick (the one from the Ersson trade) with Vancouver.

Vitals

Fedoseyev is a right-shooting defender who has been playing in the junior league for Traktor Chelyabinsk. He is listed at 6'1" and 188 lbs.

Career

It appears that Fedosyev is expected to play in the KHL next year after some VHL time this past season and a cup of coffee on the big team.

Scouting Reports

From Elite Prospects:

Not many players skate in the Gagarin Cup Playoffs in their draft year, let alone defencemen. That’s what makes Yaroslav Fedoseyev’s season remarkable. The right-shot defender spent time across the entire Russian Hockey circuit, enjoying an early-season promotion from the MHL to the VHL, and eventually, the KHL, bouncing back and forth between the leagues in various capacities. In fact, Fedoseyev ended the season with 58 regular-season games combined, even scoring his first KHL goal at the end of October.
These promotions weren’t unwarranted. Fedoseyev’s overall game, from his aggressive defending to his puck-moving ability, led to this opportunity. Eastern Europe regional scout Dylan Griffing highlighted his transition game in an October report: “His current strength lies in his efficient puck movement – making smart, straightforward plays that drive possession up the ice while keeping mistakes to a minimum. Though primarily a pass-first player, Fedoseyev’s agility and awareness allowed him to buy time and space against KHL forecheckers.”
Already operating with projectable size, Fedoseyev excels at the box out, extending out to the flanks to pin and stall threats on the outside. He’s disruptive, hunts physical opportunities on the rush, and his mean streak persisted throughout our team's viewings. Our Dir. of European Scouting, Lassi Alanen, wrote the following in March: “If you're going up against him, you need to be ready to take a few bruises.”

McKeen's says:

Fedoseyev played a good chunk of his season at the professional level this year. Of the draft-eligible Russian defencemen, he plays the most physical and mature game. It starts in the defensive end, where Fedoseyev uses good footwork and lateral agility to shut down rushes by forcing them wide and crunching them into the boards. When getting into battles in front of the net or along the boards, he can get a bit chippy at times, making sure he leaves a mark while boxing out and battling for positioning. When the pace of the game speeds up, Fedoseyev can occasionally get caught flat-footed or leave too much of a gap on these rushes that he's usually good at defending. From his own end, the breakout game is inconsistent. His vision and ability to connect on passes in transition are not great, leading to some poor turnovers or icings. When the puck is in the offensive end, though, Fedoseyev has shown some flashes of skill. It's a methodical style, creeping into the zone with the puck on his stick, slowing the game down, staying calm under pressure before finding a target in front. An interesting set of tools for a mid-round option.
NHL DraftMaple Leafs Prospects