Maple Leafs prospect checkpoint: How has Luke Haymes fared through 5 months of 2025-26?
Signing players out of the NCAA often goes under the radar, as many players can finish their season and join an organization quietly without receiving much press.
Haymes’ best season came in his second year with the Big Green, recording 18 goals and 18 assists, across 31 games, good for the team lead in goals, assists and points. After that season, Haymes was named to the 2023-24 NCAA All-Ivy League First Team and the NCAA (ECAC) First All-Star team, while also being selected as a New England All-Star.
In 2024-25, Haymes’ final season before signing the deal with the Maple Leafs the forward posted 12 goals and six assists across 22 games, before joining the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies on an amateur tryout. In nine games with the Marlies, Haymes recorded two goals and four assists.
Through 42 games this season, the 22-year-old has scored seven goals, while chipping in nine assists, tied for the eighth-most points among all Marlies skaters. The 16 points place Haymes in a tie for first with Borya Valis for most points among all Marlies rookies.
After a slow start to the season, Haymes finished strong going into the AHL All-Star break, scoring four goals and adding two assists over the Marlies’ final 11 games, including the game-winning goal in a 5-4 victory over the Iowa Wild on January 17.
Daily Faceoff and The Leafs Nation prospect expert Steven Ellis liked what he saw from Haymes at the time of his signing with the Maple Leafs’ organization.
Haymes possesses a quick, accurate wrister, but he can score in a variety of ways and angles. His confidence with the puck in the offensive zone is among the best we saw from anyone this past year, and his one-timer is truly NHL-caliber. One thing that really improved after his injury was his intensity level. He became more physically engaged and chased pucks more often with purpose. Haymes will never be a punishing hitter, but he looks ready to take on the pro leagues
With Haymes starting to find his game at the pro level and the Maple Leafs having a handful of pending unrestricted free agents that could be traded at the deadline or leave in free agency, Haymes could be in line for a debut at the NHL level this year or next.