With the 85th overall selection in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Maple Leafs selected 6’4, 198-pound goalie Juuso Ainasto of Jokerit in Finland.
The pick used to select Ainasto was originally owned by the Philadelphia Flyers. It was traded to the Leafs in the deal that sent Joe Woll and Simon Benoit to Philadelphia in exchange for Emil Andrae and Samuel Ersson.
Ainasto was the 74th-ranked prospect in the Elite Prospects Draft Guide, with a “shades of” comparison to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Ainasto did not appear in many other draft rankings, and he does not appear to have had much exposure given his career trajectory to date.
The Elite Prospects Draft Guide is one of the most researched and thorough resources on the NHL Entry Draft, and they are thus more likely to spot a player like Ainsato. That Draft Guide states in its section on Ainasto that they had never even seen him play once before November 2025, which is pretty remarkable for a prospect eventually taken in the third round that very season. At the time, Ainasto hadn’t played in a U20 or men’s league and had never represented Finland at the international level. He was completely off the radar. However, midway through the season, Ainsato was called up to Jokerit’s U20 team, and scouts began to see a bit more of him. They liked what they saw.
Ainasto’s statistical credentials are solid. While you would generally like to see prospects play in a higher league than U18 in Finland, he was dominant in that league. In 12 games this season, Ainasto posted a .938 SV%, 23 points better than the next-best goalie in that league. On Jokerit’s U20 squad, Ainasto’s .892 SV% was not spectacular, but it was the same as Kasper Kuusikoski’s, who started the most games for the team this past season. In Ainasto’s first exposure to that level of competition, it’s probably just fine.
The information about Ainasto’s game is limited. He obviously has the ideal size at 6’4, and the Elite Prospects Draft Guide makes him seem well-rounded. To that end, he received between a 5 and a 6 (8 is the best) on all six tools they grade: skating, positioning, athleticism, play reading, transitions, and technique. The write-up describes Ainasto as “polished”:
Juuso Ainasto Scouting Report
Ainasto is an impressive mover. On his feet, he’s explosive and shows quick footwork. But where he really shines is in the butterfly, keeping his form while moving, taking away ample net. Ainasto uses this to challenge shooters and create a black hole for shooters on direct shots. Side-to-side, he’s able to zip across-crease with ease and speed, beating pucks on his pushes alone, and he’s also able to recover quickly from his extensions and get back into a ready stance.
His hand placement is very strong, rarely covering his body and projected very well. He tracks pucks into his hands and directs them out. He boasts strong playreading, incorporating scans to better predict where the puck and play will meet them.
Ainasto is also a born competitor, battling for each save. His battling extends to shenanigans as well, windmilling his glove before shoving the puck in the shooter’s face, and pushing players who enter his crease. While you’d expect players with that level of bravado to struggle when things go awry, Ainasto has also shown impressive composure, looking like the same goaltender in blowouts as in lower-scoring games, maintaining his form and confidence in his play and reads.
As Ainasto favours an inactive, upright stance that disengages him completely, rather than one with his knees bent and hands at the ready, he’ll need to improve his handling of screens. This is in contrast to his default stance of playing low and wide, which also causes him trouble, as he can be beaten high above the shoulders. He also tends to predict the play a bitT oo much, sometimes neglecting to follow puck carriers on two-on-ones, just assuming they’ll pass, and he can also neglect his rebound control when facing significant shot pressure
Ultimately, this is a developmental goalie. Having only played in junior leagues in a country without the strongest domestic top league, Ainasto is very far away from playing NHL games. However, it is always a good idea to draft at least one goalie each year and see what happens. They are lottery tickets with a wide range of outcomes. Artur Akhtyamov might now be on the cusp of being an NHLer after a strong AHL season, and he was drafted six years ago. Dennis Hildeby was drafted only four years ago, but he was about to be 21 when the Leafs picked him. Ainasto only turned 18 in April.
If this draft pick succeeds, it will be many years before we see Ainasto in the NHL. That’s totally fine. With Woll exiting the organization and Anthony Stolarz’s injury status always uncertain, it is a priority for the Leafs to add goalies to their system to keep the conveyor belt humming. Drafting Ainasto does that, and perhaps one day in the far-out future, there could be a payoff of some kind.
Assistant GM Judd Brackett on Juuso Ainasto
Brackett: Ainasto has the size and maybe a little more runway in front of him. His body is a little more immature, but we are very excited about his stylistic play and foundation he has.
