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Toronto Maple Leafs: 2017 NHL Draft Recap

ByAlex Hobson|
June 23, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Timothy Liljegren (right) speaks with head coach Mike Babcock after being selected as the number seventeen overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
June 23, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Timothy Liljegren (right) speaks with head coach Mike Babcock after being selected as the number seventeen overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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BUFFALO, NY – JUNE 24: (l-r) Lou Lamoriello and Mark Hunter of the Toronto Maple Leafs attend of the 2016 NHL Draft on June 24, 2016 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY – JUNE 24: (l-r) Lou Lamoriello and Mark Hunter of the Toronto Maple Leafs attend of the 2016 NHL Draft on June 24, 2016 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Ryan O’Connell, D

Mark Hunter’s scouting knows no limits.

He’s taken players from rural Russia before, and he clearly upped the ante this season by selecting O’Connell from St. Andrew’s College of the CAHS.

To simplify it a little bit, they drafted him out of a Canadian secondary school. This is very, very rare for a Canadian hockey player.

Next: Leafs Reported Offer to the Islanders

For next season, he’s signed with the Penticton Vees of the BCHL and then committed to Boston University for the 2018-19 season. It’s clear that some teams see lots of potential in O’Connell. It will be interesting to see how his hockey career plays out.

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