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Toronto Maple Leafs: 2019 NHL Draft Recap

By Alex Hobson

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 23: (l-r) Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan of the Toronto Maple Leafs handle the draft table during the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - JUNE 23: (l-r) Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan of the Toronto Maple Leafs handle the draft table during the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center on June 23, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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PRIOR LAKE, MN – DEC 29: Chaska Hawks defenseman Michael Koster carries the puck against the Edina Hornets during their prep hockey game at Dakotah! Ice Arena in Prior Lake, MN on Saturday, December, 29, 2018.(Photo by Josh Holmberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PRIOR LAKE, MN – DEC 29: Chaska Hawks defenseman Michael Koster carries the puck against the Edina Hornets during their prep hockey game at Dakotah! Ice Arena in Prior Lake, MN on Saturday, December, 29, 2018.(Photo by Josh Holmberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

5th Round, 146th Overall – Mike Koster (D, Chaska High, USHS)

This pick right here is one of those picks that could turn out to be a high-risk, high reward type.

Koster absolutely lit up his high school league last season, putting up 59 points in 24 games from the back end. But there’s always a little extra risk involved with selecting a high school player because the level of competition isn’t as high as that in the juniors or college level. He finished off his season playing for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL where he was asked to adapt to a new system and play a more defensively responsible game, and finished with six points in 15 games.

Like all of the other prospects the Leafs drafted in 2019, he’s not an imposing physical threat on the ice, standing at 5’9 and 172lbs, but some scouts had him ranked as high as a second rounder due to his hockey IQ, passing ability, and overall raw skill from the back end.

Koster was also able to use his time with Tri-City as an example to improve his defensive game, and he did just that. This was huge for him considering that his defensive game was once one of his biggest weaknesses. He’s committed to play for the University of Minnesota next season, and should be able to become a solid puck-moving defenseman in the pros if he does a good job of improving in his grey areas during his development.

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