The T25U25 countdown just dropped its latest batch of prospects, revealing who landed from #12 down to #8, and talk about a shake-up! Officially, a new top defense prospect for Toronto, Alexander Bilecki, just debuted in the top 10 at #9, and if you haven’t been paying attention, you’re missing out on some serious young talent.
The Official Ranks Are Locked In
Kicking off this segment of the countdown at #12 is Tyler Hopkins. This guy, man, he’s that exact type of player Toronto’s brass has been absolutely fixated on for years. You know, the mold they love, whether they’re drafting ’em or pulling them straight from college. Then at #11, we’ve got Jacob Quillan. He spent all of last spring with the Leafs, nested right there with a bunch of similar, but younger, guys. Moving up to #10, happy birthday goes out to Ethan MacKenzie, the kid from Kelowna! And like I said, Bilecki slides in at #9, making a huge splash as a new top defense prospect in the system. Rounding out this section at #8 is Artur Akhtyamov, who, fun fact, is also technically number 70.
The “Hive Mind” Community Vote Weighs In
Now, the community vote. Always fascinating to see how the fans stack up against the official list, right? There’s definitely a ton of overlap, but we’re seeing some really notable exceptions pop up. Luke Haymes, for example, is rocking a weighted average of 15.57, which is a full point higher than #13, Ryan Tverberg, and the consensus for him is super strong. Bilecki, our new defender, clocks in with an average ranking of 15.06, tying him with Haymes, and honestly, the consensus for Bilecki is even stronger, which is saying something for a newly drafted player.
William Villeneuve? The community ranked him seven spaces higher than the official vote, which is a meaningful jump up from the younger Bilecki, with his 13.36 average ranking. Miroslav Holinka continues this trend of increasing consensus, pulling in the fewest “N/A” votes seen so far, with most people ranking him right around his final position. His overall average, though, is virtually tied with Villeneuve at 15.06. Jacob Quillan saw a full point jump to 11.57, and it looks like he’s a real gatekeeper for a lot of people’s votes. This entire section of the community vote? It’s probably the most “hive mind” I’ve ever seen, with noticeable, but not huge, jumps in rank, and absolutely no signs of split opinions. But here’s the thing: the differences between these two votes are really starting to come into focus now, especially with Akhtyamov’s community vote still to come, while Holinka is already ranked.
So, what’s next? After the holiday, we’re back at it on Tuesday, and get ready for a big jump up in the community vote to #7! We’ll also see a whole series of smaller jumps on the official side. Can’t wait to see what drops!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pension Plan Puppets.
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