A Maple Leafs prospect is choosing Michigan over Toronto and the decision says a lot
Photo credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Toronto's 95th overall pick in 2022, Nicholas Moldenhauer is someone who is going to play a big part in the future but is taking one more year to put it all together.
As part of the Michigan Wolverines, Moldenhauer, 21, has carved out quite the season for himself. After only scoring 10 points in an injury-riddled 2024-25 season, he came back strong with 31 points in 40 games (16 goals, 15 assists) and a blistering plus-28.
It's a massive turnaround and shows that Toronto has another exciting NCAA prospect in their system; a pipeline that has grown steadily in recent years and is a great alternative for the team's lack of draft capital.
The Nick Moldenhauer decision and why he is choosing Ann Arbor over Toronto
Though, they won't be able to get him over here just yet.
Joshua Kloke revealed on X that he's been made aware that Moldenhauer will likely not be signing with the Maple Leafs as he intends on attending Michigan for his senior year:
Right now, it sounds unlikely Nick Moldenhauer will be signing with the Maple Leafs this year.
Things can change but it seems like the 2022 third-round pick wants to return to the University of Michigan for another season of development.
Things can change but it seems like the 2022 third-round pick wants to return to the University of Michigan for another season of development.
It's a great sign of maturity from the 21-year old to want to come back and make sure he has more than enough experience and reps before making the move over to the professional level.
The decision to spur the Maple Leafs for another year isn't a personal one, as it looks like Moldenhauer wants to capitalize on his improved season and be one of the leaders next season. The Wolverines made it all the way to the Frozen Four however lost to Denver who advanced to the National Championship.
How returning to Michigan for a senior year changes the Maple Leafs prospect timeline
With Moldenhauer stepping back into the NCAA next season, it does mean Toronto loses out on adding another NCAA player to their professional ranks however, there's still a lot to like.
While he's a year or two away from contributing, the team does have people who can step in now. They made several key signings including Vincent Borgesi, Brandon Buhr, Hayes Hundley and Frank Djurasevic — on top of top signings like Luke Haymes, John Prokop, and Ryan Kirwan last year.
Also add in the fact Toronto has been linked heavily to top NCAA free agent TJ Hughes, and suddenly you find that the team has more than enough future prospects to get fans excited.
A new management group and head coach should hopefully allow more of those NCAA signings to get a look at the NHL level, and if Moldenhauer can improve even more on this season, he could be a shoe-in come 2027-28.
For now though, he's going to stay a part of Michigan and hopefully bring an NCAA Championship over to Toronto after all is said and done.
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Previously on Hockey Patrol
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 11|662 ANSWERS A Maple Leafs prospect is choosing Michigan over Toronto and the decision says a lot Do you think Toronto will sign Nick Moldenhauer after he finishes his NCAA career? | ||
| Yes | 486 | 73.4 % |
| No | 176 | 26.6 % |
| List of polls | ||