Evaluating Every Player the Toronto Maple Leafs Drafted

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DALLAS, TX – JUNE 22: Rasmus Sandin puts on a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey after being selected twenty-ninth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 22, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /

1st Round, 29th Overall (From STL) – Rasmus Sandin (D, Sault St. Marie Greyhounds)

This pick was the most Kyle Dubas pick ever in so many ways.

First of all, Dubas continuously preaches the importancy of depth and proves it whenever he’s at the helm for a draft. In 2015, he traded down from 24th overall and turned it into two second rounders and a third rounder. He followed the same path this year, trading down from 25th overall to 29th overall and also recieving the 76th pick from St. Louis in the process.

Second of all, he took somebody from the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds, the team that he managed for several years and essentially built.

Third of all, this player ended up being Rasmus Sandin. A skilled puck moving defenseman who’s on the smaller side. Dubas is known to preach the importance of skill over size and remind fans that when drafting, it’s smart to take the best player available given that it’s much easier to draft skill and trade for size than draft size and trade for skill.

From the way Dubas and other scouts describe him, Sandin is just an all around solid player. He’s great offensively, putting up 45 points in 51 games this season. He’s good defensively, makes smart plays on the ice, and even has a physical side to his game despite his smaller frame.

The selection of Sandin represents the fact that the game is changing and the fact that skill is much more valuable than size. With a game that scouts have compared to Kimmo Timonen, Sandin could end up being a very solid pick in the long run.

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