With the 69th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Maple Leafs selected 6’1, 187-pound defenseman Ethan MacKenzie of the Edmonton Oil Kings (committed to UND for ’26-27).
With the first two picks on day two of the 2026 draft, the Leafs grabbed two CHL defensemen with mobility and puck-moving acumen among their strengths. They picked five forwards in their six picks made in the 2025 draft.
Notably, MacKenzie is 19 years old, which means he was passed over in the draft twice but became one of the rare stories of an undrafted player making the Canadian World Junior team. A Oil King teammate of promising Leafs prospect Miroslav Holinka, MacKenzie participated in the Leafs‘ development camp as an undrafted invitee, so there is plenty of familiarity with the player within the organization, among the scouting staff as well as Hayley Wickenheiser and her player development team.
In his draft+2 season, the BC native produced just under a point per game in the WHL (57 in 58) and added five points in seven games for Team Canada at the WJC tournament.
“There’s a lot to like here, and plenty of teams will be kicking themselves for not taking him with a late-round pick a year ago.”
– HockeyProspect.com’s Blackbook
MacKenzie will now head to the University of North Dakota for the 2026-27 season.
Ethan MacKenzie’s pre-draft rankings:
- Ranked #53 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
- Ranked #104 by THN/KENNEDY
- Ranked #48 by MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
- Ranked #58 by FLOHOCKEY/CHRIS PETERS
- Ranked #56 by DAILY FACEOFF
- Ranked #62 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA Skaters)
- Ranked #64 by SPORTSNET/BUKALA
- Ranked #55 by HPR/MALLOY
Ethan MacKenzie Scouting Report
via The Hockey Prospect Blackbook (BUY NOW)
MacKenzie was one of the best stories in this draft class. After being passed over in each of the previous two drafts, he put himself in a position to guarantee selection this time around. He capped it off by making Team Canada for the World Junior Championship as an undrafted player, which is a rare accomplishment. He had a monster season with Edmonton, posting 22 goals and finishing in the top 10 in scoring among WHL defensemen. He’ll head to the NCAA next season, joining a strong hockey program at North Dakota.
MacKenzie is an excellent skater. His stride is explosive and effortless, he escapes pressure with ease, and he can rush the puck out of trouble or go end-to-end when the situation calls for it. His ability to recover quickly is another indicator of his strong skating mechanics and overall athleticism.
He’s a very good transitional defenseman, combining his skating with a reliable first pass and a willingness to carry the puck out of his own zone. Hims mobility also allows him to exploit poor coverage by opposing teams. We project him as a PP2 option at the NHL level. His puck distribution is good, but not quite at the level of a PP1 quarterback. That said, he has a powerful shot from the point that accounted for a significant number of his goals this season.
He’s an average-sized defender who plays bigger than his frame. He competes hard and plays without fear. Bigger forwards can overpower him down low and around the net, but it’s never for a lack of effort. His hockey sense is above average, though there were some question marks about his play under pressure with Team Canada. It’s worth noting that we didn’t see those same issues in the WHL, and frankly, nearly every defenseman on that Canadian roster had difficult moments under pressure at some point during the tournament.
Ranking players in their second or third year of eligibility always comes with an asterisk. MacKenzie is two years older than a typical draft-eligible player, and the questions surrounding his development curve and ceiling are fair ones. But the reality is that most 19-year-olds in this draft class aren’t projected to be as good as MacKenzie already is today. When you look at the full package—his skating, hands, shot, compete level, and athletic ability—projecting him as at least a third-pairing NHL defenseman feels both easy and safe. There’s a lot to like here, and plenty of teams will be kicking themselves for not taking him with a late-round pick a year ago.
Assistant GM Judd Brackett on Ethan MacKenzie
Brackett: A great story, and a good testament to the scouts to continue evaluating players. It is not just in their first year. Ethan obviously had a great year with the World Junior team. He is a player we had some familiarity with; we had him at our rookie camp last year. There is a personal connection there, too.
But he earned it. He had some injury history in his WHL years. He has continued to grow and expand his game. Obviously, with a chance to go to the NCAA now, it gives him a little more runway.
Ethan MacKenzie Video
Ethan MacKenzie Stats
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | Edmonton Oil Kings | WHL | 50 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 11 | -34 |
| 2023-24 | Edmonton Oil Kings | WHL | 26 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 19 | -5 |
| 2024-25 | Edmonton Oil Kings | WHL | 54 | 5 | 27 | 32 | 64 | 7 |
| 2025-26 | Edmonton Oil Kings | WHL | 59 | 22 | 36 | 58 | 42 | 29 |
