About this episode

Mark Leach discusses the implications of having the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and his relationship with the new general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and one of the people responsible for making that selection, Maple Leafs amateur scouting director Mark Leach, joined NHL Draft Class live at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo. Leach discussed how big an impact it is having the No. 1 pick, how close the Maple Leafs will be to making a decision following their interviews at the combine, how his relationship with new Toronto general manager John Chayka is growing and more.

People in this episode

Guest: Mark Leach

Topics covered

• NHL Draft
• Scouting Combine
• Toronto Maple Leafs
• Amateur Scouting
• Player Selection

Keywords

• NHL Draft
• Mark Leach
• Toronto Maple Leafs
• Scouting Combine
• John Chayka
• amateur scouting
• No. 1 pick

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Toronto Maple Leafs, NHL, John Chayka

Places: Buffalo

More episodes of NHL Draft Class

• Nick Smith, NHL Central Scouting; Top OHL prospects · June 10, 2026 · 25 min
• NHL Scouting Combine Part III: Liam and Markus Ruck join · June 5, 2026 · 22 min
• NHL Scouting Combine Part I: Gavin McKenna & Ivar Stenberg · June 3, 2026 · 32 min
• David Gregory, NHL Central Scouting; NHL Scouting Combine preview · May 28, 2026 · 30 min
• JF Damphousse, NHL Central Scouting; Top QMJHL prospects · May 21, 2026 · 29 min
• John Williams, NHL Central Scouting; Top Western Hockey League prospects · May 15, 2026 · 32 min

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