Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Mark Hunter announces Mitchell Marner (not pictured) as the number four overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs as commissioner Gary Bettman looks on in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The First Draft
On June 26, it was Mark Hunter’s turn to flaunt his skills to Leafs Nation. He took the podium in Sunrise, Florida at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and selected forward Mitch Marner with the number 4 pick. Marner, from the London Knights, is a small, but very skilled forward who assistant GM Mark Hunter knows very well.
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Expect him to dominate in junior for at least one more year before the Leafs even consider keeping him. In fact, Marner isn’t even eligible to play in the AHL until the 2017-18 season so until then he will be in the OHL unless he makes the Leafs.
The Leafs also had the 24th overall pick acquired from the Nashville Predators in the trade mentioned earlier. Instead of using the pick, they used it to acquire picks in two separate trades with the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets. Without going into details, the Leafs flipped the 24th pick for the 34th, 61st, and 68th picks.
The picks netted them defenceman Travis Dermott from the Erie Otters, Center Jeremy Bracco from the U.S Development Program, and Latvian forward Martins Dzierkals. The Leafs would come away with a total of 9 players in the draft. They also picked up 23-year-old rearguard Martin Marincin in a trade the Edmonton Oilers.
Next: The First Free Agents