Photo by the author Inusha Wickramasinghe / Unsplash
The Toronto Maple Leafs took Brody Pepoy with the 169th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Vital organs
- Position: Right winger
- League(s): OHL
- Height: 6 feet 2 inches
- Weight: 181 lb
- Date of birth: May 16, 2008
Career
Highlights
Ratings
- Elite prospects: 109th
- McKins: 145th place
- NHL Central Scouting: 124th among North American skaters
Who is Brody Pepoy?
Here is his tracking data:
I actually wrote a little about Pepoya earlier this year in one of my mid-season watchlist updates. I actually thought about him on the list I wrote for late round hitters, but he just didnโt make the cut. Hereโs the post where I talked about it:
2026 NHL Draft: February Watch List
Weโre in the home stretch as some prospects solidify their draft range while others turn into late risers or busts. I have a good idea of โโwho might be available within the Toronto radius.
Here are some more recent intelligence reports about him:
Elite prospects
Few prospects have captivated our scouting staff this year as much as Brodie Pepoy. In short, his game is chaos. He plays at a breakneck pace with a kill-or-be-killed mentality, chasing pucks at full speed and looking to pull off crazy one-on-one moves at every opportunity. Heโs raw but exciting and plays in a style that can lead to rapid improvement.
Pepoy never stops working. If he doesnโt have the puck first, he makes sure the opponent feels it. He pushes forward in every game. In possession he is fearless and creative, which is combined with dynamic habits: his feet are always moving, attacking from angles and aiming inside at every opportunity. Using spins, finger drags and more, he put together one of the best catches in the OHL.
Pepoy is dynamic, but he usually struggles with the puck and plays too fast. He passes before he looks, mishandles his moves, and handles the puck too much during his moves. There were many games where he failed to execute moves repeatedly and did not adapt. His confidence is great, as is his willingness to expand his game, but his skills and intelligence must keep pace.
While Pepoy does have the potential to boom, he may have to recalibrate his game to secure a bottom-six position. This means choosing your positions better, relying more on the review side, and adding more detail.
McKins Hockey
Consistency has been Pepoyโs biggest issue this year, as the entire Saginaw secondary has struggled to find rhythm behind the teamโs dominant front line. The appeal is that he is both skilled and physically aggressive. He is also considered an above average skater for someone of his size. Pepoy is most dangerous when attacking the attacking zone with speed, as he has the creativity and confidence to beat defenders one-on-one and create scoring chances.
The most important thing for Pepoy is to make better decisions with the puck. Turnover has been an issue for him this year; This is the classic puck hero mentality. However, more often than not, even after passing the ball, he tried to regain possession of the ball. As you continue to improve your strength and fitness, you should also prevent it from fading away over the long haul. While offensive production certainly isnโt usually an indication of a player being a mid-round pick, Pepoy has been eye-tested enough times to feel confident putting him in his place. He has significant upside as he gets more ice time and responsibility in Saginaw.
Inverted hockey
โWeaselsโ is a nickname coined by R.V. Jacob Cloutier to describe the Saginaw Spiritโs second line, which includes himself, C Carson Harmer and draft-eligible 17-year-old R.W. Brody Pepoy (6โ2โณ, 181 pounds), who is ranked No. 110 among North American skaters in Central Scoutingโs midterm rankings. The second best team in the OHL, the Kitchener Rangers, but they probably had no business being in first place, finishing the regular season 15th out of 20 teams. Pepoy, who wonโt turn 18 until May 16, was ruled meaningless for three postseason games after scoring 16 goals and 29 points in 63 regular-season contests. The Troy, Michigan native was never selected for the team. During the 2024-25 season, he played for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 16U AAA team, scoring 52 points in 55 games.
Pepoy is a strong striker who plays a dynamic and energetic game, aided by his tenacity and boundless motor skills. Heโs an excellent skater, but his explosiveness, top gear, and agility are somewhat limited by flaws in his mechanics: his stride lacks full extension, and he looks too hunched over at times, with a slight heel strike. However, his intensity and work rate go some way to making up for his lack of elite speed, and he is still capable of pushing the pace and surprising opponents on the forecheck, forcing them into turnovers and out-of-control plays. With excellent contact skills, he knows how to use his physique to win battles and secure inside position, showing the ability to break through congested areas while maintaining control, slip through hands to clear pucks, and make contact early to gain a little more space to operate.
Pipoy completes his checks, throws his weight to separate the player from the puck, and is ready to absorb contact to make the play. With just 22 PIM on the season, he shows that he uses his fitness with purpose and discipline and can hit hard shots while staying within the rules. While he will likely never be a highly productive striker and his game looks a bit raw and shambolic at the moment, he is decently experienced and surprisingly detailed in all three zones, has professional skills and has an impressive checking game. However, as the season progressed and his responsibilities increased (he spent the first part of the campaign in the third line), he struck much more on top of his already frequent presence in the bottom slot; he fearlessly runs the net for rebounds and puck losses and competes in all the fat areas of the ice.
Pipoy displays cunning and vision as a playmaker, with occasional flashes of high-level creativity, but his best ideas more often than not fall flat; Scouts, however, give him credit for his willingness to try things and experiment on the fly, but his passing skills may not be as well developed as his ability to read the play. I believe he has more options in his repertoire and has plenty of room to develop his game, but either way he could have a high level in the NHL due to his size, defensive acumen, work ethic and physicality. Look for him in later rounds.
I LOVE that they call him a โweasel.โ Welcome to the Leafs, Brody!