Toronto Maple Leafs: Editor in Leaf Draft Content Roundup
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft has come and gone, and the Toronto Maple Leafs made a number of interesting moves.
The weeks leading up to Draft Day and the days which followed have been chaos. To cover every avenue, the Editor in Leaf staff has been working around the clock to make sure no stone is unturned. Because of this, it’s quite easy for a few pieces to slip through the cracks.
And we can’t have that!
So, here’s a brief roundup of some steaming hot draft-related content for your reading pleasure.
Enjoy!
Evaluating Every Pick
Let’s kick this thing off with the granddaddy of it all.
The Leafs held 9 picks in this year’s draft (although they entered with 8) and boy, they made use of them. Once we veer into the weeds of the 4th round and beyond, prospects begin popping up that we’ve never heard of.
If that’s the case for you, Alex broke down each and every Leafs pick from Friday to Saturday.
Give it a read!
“First of all, Dubas continuously preaches the importance 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 receiving 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.”
Livin’ on the Bode Wilde Side
Just want to give Josh a quick shout out here for his wonderful choice for the title.
Anyway, this piece was written prior to the draft, centred around whether the Leafs should zero in on defence prospect Bode Wilde. We all know now that Wilde fell to the Islanders at 43rd, so alas, Dubas will not be living on the Wilde side.
Still, Wilde is an intriguing prospect, one who now occupies the Eastern Conference. It’s valuable to get the low down on a guy who could potentially be helping Lou Lamoriello exact revenge on his millennial usurper.
Take a gander.
“Bob McKenzie of TSN reported a few days ago in the below tweet that Wilde will not play for Michigan.
It’s surprising that he chose to de-commit. With the Wolverines, he had the opportunity to play for a strong collegiate program. Oddly enough, he wasn’t the only NHL Draft prospect to de-commit. Fellow USNTDP defenseman, Mattias Samuelsson also de-committed from the Wolverines.
Instead of playing collegiate hockey, he could potentially play in the OHL. Per McKenzie’s tweet, Wilde’s OHL rights are owned by the Saginaw Spirit. Saginaw is only a 1 hour and 15-minute drive from his hometown. So if he opted to play in the OHL, he would be able to play in front of his family consistently.”
2017 Draft Round-By-Round Recap
Again, Alex knocks it out of the park.
The 2017 draft was a mixed bag for the Leafs. On the bright side, they were blessed by the gods when Timothy Liljegren dropped all the way into their laps at 17th overall. On the other hand, they spent later-round picks on complete unknowns in Ryan McGregor and Ryan O’Connell rather than rolling the dice on undersized skill.
The piece is an interesting case study on Mark Hunter‘s method of scouting. Not to mention, it’s worth a read.
“Growing up as a Maple Leafs fan, McGregor’s totals from his draft year didn’t exactly jump off the board at you. But, he had plenty of reasons to select him. McGregor plays a very strong two-way game. He also seems to possess above-average leadership qualities, being named an alternate captain at the age of 17.
McGregor had a successful season this year, putting up 32 points in 50 games. He also really turned in on in the playoffs, putting up 10 points in 12 games for the Sting. McGregor will now return to the Sting for next season.
It will be interesting to see how he develops in what is now his fourth year in the OHL.”
Best Late-Round Draft Picks in Leafs History
Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it, right? Well, this article is less of a hard lesson and more of a building point.
While the Leafs haven’t exactly had the best drafting record throughout their history, there are certainly a few gems. Particularly in the later rounds. In this piece, Josh goes through some of the notable ones from year’s past.
Check it out!
“The best late-round pick in Maple Leafs history is Tomas Kaberle.
The Czech national wasn’t a stellar two-way defenseman when he was taken in the eighth round of the 1996 NHL Draft by the Maple Leafs. Prior to draft day, he had only registered two assists in 27 games with HC Kladno.
Yet, the Maple Leafs saw promise and they weren’t wrong. In Kaberle’s last season with HC Kladno, he developed offensive skills. In 47 games played, he posted 4 goals and 19 assists. His success with HC Kladno in the 1997-98 regular season led to the Maple Leafs front office bringing him to Toronto for the 1998-99 season.”
Next: Marlies D Who Could Make the Jump
Thanks for reading! Be sure to keep your eyes peeled to the site as we ramp up coverage heading into free agency. #Tavares2018, baby! Woooooo!