Toronto Maple Leafs: 1st Rounders Through the Years vol. 4

In 2010, the Toronto Maple Leafs had no first round picks.

The Toronto Maple Leafs had a dismal 74 point season, finishing in 29th place. The Boston Bruins (Leafs) had an 18.8% chance of selecting first. Taylor Hall, left-wing, was an explosively fast skater with a wicked shot. Tyler Seguin, a centre who was considered a better playmaker and two-way player. Also available at the top of the draft were Ryan Johansen, Cam Fowler, Jeff Skinner and Justin Faulk.

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While Boston was selecting Seguin with the Leafs first round pick, Brian Burke, without a 1st or 2nd round pick, shipped Jimmy Hayes to the Chicago Blackhawks for the 43rd overall pick. He selected Brad Ross, a truculent winger from the Portland Winter Hawks. Ross had scored 27 goals, 68 points with 203 PIM in his draft year. Since turning pro, Ross never scored more than eight goals. Furthermore, he has never had a sniff of the NHL. He now toils for the Iserlohn Roosters in the Deutsche Eishockey League (Germany).

First of all, imagine the Leafs with Kadri and Seguin as young centre depth. Secondly, imagine that Fletcher did not have the keys to the vault. Lastly, imagine him not trading Alex Steen for Lee Stempniak. OUCH!

Steen, Kadri and Seguin, that is a quality one through three centre depth.

2011 draft, Tyler Biggs, and Stuart Percy

In 2011, the Leafs missed the playoffs once again. At the same time, the 2011 draft began in a similar fashion to 2010. Though the Leafs improved by 11 points, missing the post-season was only half of the bitter pill. The Bruins used the second first-rounder acquired in the Kessel deal to select Dougie Hamilton, a 6′ 5 200 lbs., Toronto-born defender.

Immense, mobile defenseman who excels in all three zones. Born of Olympic blood lines, Dougie Hamilton’s athleticism shows in his skating, where he has the speed to recover and catch players if he gets beat on a pinch, the mobility to turn and retrieve dump-ins before opposing forecheckers, and the shiftiness to carry the puck and beat defenders one-on-one. As of this writing, Hamilton is 6’5” but he’s grown an inch and a half over the course of the season so he may, in fact, top out in the 6’6” range. www.hockeysfuture.com

The 2011 draft was a perfect example of Burke’s horrendous asset management. The Leafs traded a first round pick 30th overall, the bounty from the Kaberle to Boston deal plus their second round pick, 39th overall to the Anaheim Ducks for the 22nd pick. No doubt Burke wanted another truculent youngster and since missing the first Tyler, he selected another. Tyler Biggs, from the USHL Development program.

Biggs was a bust. He never came close to playing in the NHL. At best, Biggs is a borderline AHL and ECHL talent who now plays for the ECHL Kalamazoo Wings. Left on the table between picks 22 and 25? Matt Puempel and Joe Morrow.

The Leafs second first round pick in 2011, number 25, acquired in the Kris Versteeg to the Flyers deal. Burke used this pick to select Stuart Percy.

Percy possesses all-round ability, and is very calm under pressure situations. He moves the puck efficiently out of the defensive zone and is starting to become a threat offensively – although he is unlikely to develop into a première offensive defender. He is still developing his power and skating skills. www.hockeysfuture

At the time of his choice, Percy was considered an above average prospect. While he showed early promise as a rookie, injuries derailed his career.

Who was Left on the board between picks 25 and 30 where the Ducks selected Rickard Rakell with the Leafs via the Bruins pick? Phillip Danault and Vladislav Namestnikov.

At this point, the Leafs could have built a prospect pool of Seguin, Hamilton, and Rakell. Meanwhile, due to asset mismanagement and poor scouting, they drafted  Ross, Biggs, and Percy to add to 2009 pick Nazem Kadri.

Morgan Rielly

After the disastrous 2010 and 2011 seasons and the drafts that followed, the Leafs retained their first round pick for 2012. They drafted Morgan Rielly with the 5th overall pick.

Rielly started his draft eligible season on fire. To begin 2011-12, he scored three goals and added 15 helpers and was plus-six in 18 games. A torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered Nov. 6.  ended the Moose Jaw Warriors season. The following year, his D +1, Rielly scored 12 goals, added 42 assists for 54 points in 60 games. After a strong training camp to begin the 2013-14 season, Rielly made the team as a 20-year-old.

Rielly was the top offensive defenseman in the 2012 draft class, and one of the WHL’s top defencemen in 2013.  His skating, passing, and puck skills are all top-notch, and he puts those skills to good use.  Rielly has the look of a future power-play quarterback and puck-rushing defenseman.  He’ll need to work on his defensive game, www.hockeysfuture.com

Arguably the top offensive defenceman in the draft, Rielly is considered to be the Leafs future number one d-man. In my opinion, the Hockeys Future prospect report was bang on. His skating is elite. His vision is elite. Though he must continue to work on his shot speed, his accuracy is good while his ability to get the puck through traffic creates rebounds. Even so, Mike Babcock has forced him to work on the defensive side of his game. The past two seasons, Rielly has lined up as a top pairing defender for the Leafs. Based on QoC, Rielly played some of the most difficult minutes in the NHL. While he continues as a work in progress, Rielly’s future is bright with the Leafs.

While Rielly’s offensive numbers slipped last season, please note that he is only 23. Already a four-year veteran of 312 games, he has spent the better part of those games skating for a bad team. When not playing for a bad team, he was playing for a worse team. All things considered, while playing for a bad team, he was also playing for a coach with brutal systems.

In addition, his partner for the season was Nikita Zaitsev, a 24-year-old rookie learning the North American game. All things considered, Rielly had a good season and I expect better from the 23-year-old in the 2017-18 season.

The Leafs picks from 2010 onwards → Ross, Biggs, Percy and Rielly.

The Leafs could have had → Seguin, Hamilton, Rakell and Rielly

Frederick Gauthier

Paradoxically, 2012-13 was a bizarre year for the Leafs. Playing close to the worst possession hockey in the NHL, the team still qualified for the postseason in the strike-shortened season. Finishing third in the Atlantic Division, they drew the powerhouse Bruins. In any case, we all know what happened in game seven. Enough said!

Ultimately, losing season after season cost Burke his job. Out with Burke, in with Dave Nonis. As general manager, Nonis set out to prove the previous 4 ½ years of Leafs mismanagement were Burke’s responsibility. Nonis had the toolbox, unfortunately, he lacked the tools to right the good ship Maple Leafs. In any case, he took a floundering franchise and ran it aground.

After qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in eight years, Nonis and the Leafs had the 23rd pick in 2013. They selected hulking defensive forward Frederick Gauthier. A big strong centre who excels at faceoffs, Gauthier anchored Canada’s checking line at the IIHF Junior Tournament 2011 thru 2015. Gauthier was considered the best defensive centre in the QMJHL his draft year and while he hovered around a ppg,  his 60 points in 62 games with the Rimouski Oceanic was good enough for fourth in team scoring.

Be that as it may, Nonis had hoped that his offensive game would develop. At any rate, the Goat remained at under a ppg during the rest of his junior career mostly due to deficiencies in his skating and mobility.

Gauthier has worked diligently with Barb Underhill the past three seasons and has become the Toronto Marlies most improved player. In my opinion, the Goat is the most underrated while most improved Marlies player. His skating is now of NHL calibre. He has learned to use his size to defend, close gaps and finish his check without taking penalties. Unfortunately, just as his career trajectory was pointing to the NHL, the Goat suffered a season-ending knee injury during the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs. After surgery, he will miss training camp and there is no news speculating on his return.

While the 2013 draft was not considered deep by many experts, André Burakovsky and Shea Theodore were still available when Nonis picked Gauthier.

The Leafs picks from 2010  onwards→ Ross, Biggs, Percy, Rielly and Gauthier.

The Leafs could have had →  Seguin, Hamilton, Rakell, Rielly and André Burakovsky (Shea Theodore).

Jan 31, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars centre Tyler Seguin (91) chases Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander (29) during the second period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

William Nylander, Skill, Skill and More Skill

After another season where the Leafs started strong, the fans watched helplessly as the bus went off the cliff once again. Randy Carlyle outsmarted by a toaster was considered newsworthy. The organization was close to rock bottom. Much closer to the Oilers, Coyotes, and Sabres than to the Blackhawks, Penguins, and Kings.

MLSE hired Brendan Shanahan April 11, 2014, sixteen days before the 2014 NHL entry draft. Through the five previous drafts, Leafs prospects combined for a grand total of 75 NHL games. 73 of those games played by Rielly. Shanahan had decided he needed a season to decide a new path for his hockey team, however, there was only one aspect he controlled immediately. The draft.

First and foremost, Shanahan knows what it takes to win because he is a winner. A three-time Stanley Cup Champion. A winner with Canada at the 1991 Canada Cup, the 1994 World Championship and a Gold Medal winner at the Olympic Winter Games.

Out with Truculence, In With Skill

“With the number eight selection in the 2014 entry draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs select William Nylander“.

Don Cherry had a conniption. Yes, Don, they passed on 6′ 3 Nick Ritchie and drafted the most skilled forward in the draft. For fans of the Leafs, it was the first inkling that things are different this time. Nylander, drafted as a centre played this past season on phenom Auston Matthews right side. Arguably the most skilled player in the draft, Willie’s .718 ppg leads his entire draft class. Furthermore this selection showed that while Shanahan would wait and watch as the 2014-15 season unfolded, he was in charge. The Leafs chose to let Nylander stay in Sweden for half of the 2014-15 season while he outgrew and out-scored his contemporaries. Further developing for half a season with the Marlies, Nylander was a late season call-up to the floundering Leafs.

As a rookie (first 20 or so games, the year before last) he was a playing centre in the NHL and posting positive possession numbers on a last place team.   53% is good for anyone. For a rookie playing on a last place team, it’s down-right amazing. James tanner

Nylander was NHL ready to begin the 2016-17 season and he did not disappoint. In his first full NHL season, Willie scored 22 goals, 39 assists for 61 points and formed a deadly duo with Matthews while setting rookie records for consecutive-game points streak and power play points. Nylander was also named NHL Rookie of the Month twice. He is one of the most purely skilled players in the NHL.

The Leafs picks from 2010 onwards → Ross, Biggs, Percy, Rielly, Gauthier and Nylander.

The Leafs could have had →  Seguin, Hamilton, Rakell, Rielly, André Burakovsky (Shea Theodore) and Nylander.

From this pick onwards, I can find no fault with the Leafs 1st round selections. Nylander is the first core piece of the three-headed Mathlander monster.

TORONTO, ON – APRIL 23: Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Boston Bruins in Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Air Canada Centre on April 23, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)

Mitch Marner

With the 4th pick, “the Toronto Maple Leafs select Mitchell Marner from the London Knights”. From the moment the Leafs called Mitch Marner’s name, the questions began. Was he the right choice? How could they pass on Hanafin? Is Marner too small?  Will his game translate to the NHL? Is there a way for him to spend the year in the AHL? On and on they went.

Mitch Marner has had many of those same questions asked at every level he has played. As a matter of fact, the questions of his size have dogged him throughout his entire career. What has Marner done when asked those same questions? Silence his detractors with his play.

Marner scored 16 goals, added  28 assists for 44 points and was +30 in 18 playoff games leading the Knights to the OHL championship, winners of the J. Ross Robertson Cup. In the Memorial Cup round-robin, Marner continued his dominance scoring 2 goals and 12 assists for14 points (3.5 ppg) finishing +10 in four games.

So how good was Mitch Marner in his D +1 season?

CHL Memorial Cup (Team championship) Stafford Smythe Trophy (CHL Memorial Cup Most Valuable Player award) CHL Player of the Year J. Ross Robertson Cup (OHL Cup – Team Championship) Red Tilson Trophy (OHL Most Outstanding Player) OHL Playoffs most assists (He had 28 helpers) OHL playoffs most points (He had 44 playoff points) Wayne Gretzky 99 Award (OHL playoffs MVP) hockeywriters.com

Marner’s First NHL Season 2016-17

Marner played 77 games for the Leafs scoring 19 times while adding a franchise rookie record 42 assists. He dazzles teammates and opponents alike with his otherworldly vision, puck skills, and effortless skating. Marner also won the NHL Rookie of the Month award for January 2017.

After years of draft mismanagement, trading high picks or selecting draft busts, it appears that Shanahan, Mark Hunter, and the new scouting department knows all about drafting skill over truculence. Marner is the second piece of the supremely talented rookie core.

The Leafs picks from 2010 onwards→ Ross, Biggs, Percy, Rielly, Gauthier, Nylander and Marner.

The Leafs could have had →  Seguin, Hamilton, Rakell, Rielly, André Burakovsky (Shea Theodore) Nylander and Marner.

Mitch Marner is the second piece of the three-headed Mathlander monster.

TORONTO, ON – FEBRUARY 10: Mitchell MarnerTo Recap:

2010: #2 Traded (Tyler Seguin)

2010: #43 2nd round Bradd Ross

2011: #9 Traded (Dougie Hamilton)Visit Site

2011: #22 Tyler Biggs

2011 #25 Stuart Percy

2012: #5 Morgan Rielly

2013:  #23 Frederick Gauthier

2014:  #8 William Nylander

2015:  #4 Mitch Marner

2016:  #1 Auston Matthews

2007:  #17  ???

It is time to put the past drafts what-ifs and the coulda, shoulda, woulda’s to bed. The Leafs core of Matthews, Marner, and Nylander is as talented a top three as any in the NHL. Add Rielly and Kadri to the mix, and the Leafs have a core of five young stars, drafted and developed within the organization.

It has been 32 years since the Leafs called Wendel Clark’s name as the 1st overall pick. The time for celebrating will come soon. Shanahan and his management group have finally got it right.