The TLN Maple Leafs prospect rankings were compiled by a panel of seven TLN writers, each ranking our top 20 prospects to form a consensus group ranking.
Rather than hard and fast limits on age or NHL games played to determine “prospect” eligibility, our group decided on a more nuanced approach to include any reasonably young player who is either under contract with the Leafs or on the club’s reserve list, who has not yet established himself as a full-time NHLer.
Even after falling all the way to the fifth round before the Leafs scooped him up in the 2021 NHL draft, few have ever questioned Ty Voit’s pure offensive talent. Any questions that did remain about his raw ability were put to bed when he registered 80 points to lead the Sarnia Sting in scoring the following season, and he cemented his reputation as a dynamic offensive presence by finishing second in OHL scoring with 105 points in just 67 games during the 2022-23 season.
Voit had checked off just about every box at the junior level, but at just 5’10” and 161 pounds, the main concern with his NHL projection was always his lack of size and strength and how that might limit his ability to generate offence at the pro level. Entering his first pro season on a high note after torching the OHL, it didn’t take long for those issues to bubble to the surface and prevent Voit from ever getting out of the gates in his AHL rookie season.
Before the season even began, Voit landed on the shelf with an injury suffered while representing the Leafs at the Traverse City Prospects Tournament in September. That put him behind the eight ball from the outset, forcing him to miss the first couple of months of the AHL campaign. To Voit’s credit, he returned to game action with a vengeance, but that return would be short-lived. He joined the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers on a conditioning stint in early December and looked like the Ty Voit who dominated the OHL a season prior, tallying a pair of goals to go along with six assists in just five games before he was recalled by the Marlies to begin his AHL career. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be afforded the opportunity to show what he could do at that level, suffering a shoulder injury just minutes into his Marlies debut that ultimately ended his season.
Any time a player has injury troubles, there is an element of bad luck involved, but considering Voit’s small stature, losing an entire season to injury has only amplified concerns about how he will manage to withstand the rigours of pro hockey – never mind his ability to be a consistent offensive threat at that level. Therein lies Voit’s biggest hurdle to becoming an NHL regular down the road, and the primary reason he’s fallen from the 11th spot in our last TLN Maple Leafs Prospect Rankings to the 18th spot this time around.
Overall, the Leafs have a middling prospect pool that is a bit light on blue-chip talent, but they are well-stocked with young players who project as viable depth pieces at the NHL level, regardless of whether or not they reach their absolute ceilings developmentally. Voit, however, might represent the biggest boom or bust potential in the Leafs’ pipeline because of his high-end offensive skill set.
Voit is a determined, competitive player who gives an honest effort each shift, but his two-way game is still limited at this stage of his career. He’ll force turnovers with a strong pursuit game and smart reads, but that probably won’t be enough to overcome his physical shortcomings and carve out a bottom-six role in the NHL. If Voit is going to break through and force his way onto an NHL roster, it’s going to be on the strength of his offensive vision and playmaking ability. Fortunately, he has plenty of both.
Ty Voit (No. 49) made his pro debut on Friday with the Newfoundland Growlers. Across 2 games this weekend, he collected four assists – all of them primary. He’ll surely be up with the Marlies before long.#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/9gTWYJFLYo
— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) December 3, 2023
Much of Voit’s game is built around processing speed and deception. He is constantly scanning the play around him, identifying his options early enough to set up and execute his next move before defenders have time to react. That extra bit of time allows Voit to draw in opposing players to create more space for his teammates, and he doesn’t need much room to feather a tape-to-tape pass. He’ll hold defenders and goaltenders alike with his eyes or subtle head fakes to create open lanes, and when that doesn’t work, he’ll simply adjust the angle and find his target with a slick hook or saucer pass.
Voit’s mobility and ability to read the play before it unfolds make him a dangerous quick-strike threat as well. He is cerebral in the way he hunts open space and positions himself to capitalize on turnovers or broken plays, and his slick hands allow him to make tough plays in tight spaces. With all due respect to Voit, he isn’t likely to ever become a Selke calibre winger capable of putting up 90+ points, but he does bear some stylistic similarities to Mitch Marner in the way that he creates offensive chances for himself and his teammates.
Going back and watching some tape from #LeafsForever prospect Ty Voit’s rookie season in the OHL and came across this gorgeous assist: pic.twitter.com/PUsGlzjAXg
— Nick Richard (@_NickRichard) July 25, 2021
There is legitimate upside in Voit’s offensive game and reason to believe he can become a productive NHL winger, but there are also enough questions about his overall projectability to wonder if he ever makes it there. The first obstacle he will have to overcome is staying healthy long enough to prove himself with the Marlies at the AHL level, and with a handful of veterans from last year’s team moving on, he should be provided with ample opportunity to do so.
Continuing to add strength will be a focus for Voit, and that should make him less vulnerable to injury, with the added benefit of aiding in his ability to win battles and protect pucks against bigger, stronger opposition than he has faced to this point. With more experience, Voit’s spatial awareness and hockey IQ should help him learn how to better protect himself while finding space to unleash his playmaking skills against stiffer competition as well.
After a pair of strong seasons in junior that put him on the map as a bonafide NHL prospect, the 2023-24 season was a lost one for Voit. It’s always going to be an uphill battle for the undersized fifth-round pick, but he has the offensive tools to put his disappointing rookie campaign in the rearview mirror and reestablish his place on the organizational depth chart in 2024-25.
Statistics from EliteProspects.com
