Fansided

Toronto Maple Leafs: 1st Round Targets at Centre

By D.J. Llewellyn |
PLYMOUTH, MI - FEBRUARY 15: Jacob Olofsson #21 of the Sweden Nationals skates up ice against the Finland Nationals during the 2018 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament game at USA Hockey Arena on February 15, 2018 in Plymouth, Michigan. Finland defeated Sweden 5-3. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)*** Local Caption *** Jacob Olofsson
PLYMOUTH, MI - FEBRUARY 15: Jacob Olofsson #21 of the Sweden Nationals skates up ice against the Finland Nationals during the 2018 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament game at USA Hockey Arena on February 15, 2018 in Plymouth, Michigan. Finland defeated Sweden 5-3. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)*** Local Caption *** Jacob Olofsson

Which centres might the Toronto Maple Leafs target in the upcoming NHL Entry draft.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are picking 25th overall in the first round of the draft this summer. If the Leafs choose to keep the pick and use it without moving up or down, there are several players worth considering. Today we’re looking at a couple of centres that can help their centre depth in the future.

Jacob Olofsson

The Leafs love Swedes. They’re also in dire need of “two-way centres” that don’t have hands of stone. Olofsson fits the bill perfectly.

At 6’2 192lbs, Olofsson has NHL size and is only going to grow larger and get stronger. He skates relatively well. He already plays against men in the Allsvenskan (Sweden’s “AHL”) and put up a respectable 21 points in 43 games for Timra this past season. He’ll be ready for the SHL at the very least next fall.

Olofsson has all the makings of a solid second or third line centre at the NHL level and that suits Toronto just fine. He’s already defensively responsible. He gets into shooting and passing lanes, back-checks well and will block a shot when you need. Olofsson can also score in a variety of ways and make plays.

More from Editor In Leaf

A smart, well-rounded centre, Olofsson is a safe but quite reasonable pick.

Akil Thomas

For those that like gamble a little more on talent in the draft, Akil Thomas is a player to keep your eyes on. The Toronto native was named to the OHL First All-Rookie team last year with 48 points. He followed that up with 81 points in 68 games this season- more points than any other player in the OHL that’s draft eligible for the first time.

One of the few knocks against Thomas is his size. He’s 5’11 and 170lbs. He needs to get stronger in order to play centre at the NHL level. Personally, I don’t think this is the issue it used to be in today’s NHL, but we don’t know how much value the Toronto Maple Leafs are putting on it. What we do know is that they love skill and character- something Thomas has plenty of.

Thomas is a talented playmaker with soft hands and lots of speed. He can score from anywhere on the ice whether it’s a long-range snipe or jamming in the puck and taking a beating right by the net.

Thomas is a lot of fun to watch and is a very tenacious player. He plays in all situations from power plays to penalty kills to late-game face-offs. He’ll do anything you need, plays centre or wing and even wears an “A” for those who just love intangibles. If Thomas is still there at 25, it’s hard to say no.

Next: Leafs Can Choose to be Deep at Centre

A skinny local kid that scores and gives it his all each game? Don Cherry has tears in his eyes.

Home / Analysis