#3 Jeremy Bracco
The 2015 NHL Entry Draft is the gift that keeps on giving. First, the Arizona Coyotes for some reason selected Dylan Strome ahead of Mitch Marner, and then the Flyers and Blue Jackets gave the Leafs 3 picks for 1, allowing them to move down and draft three players, including Travis Dermott.
Marner alone would be a great haul for any draft, but Kyle Dubas the Toronto Maple Leafs also picked Jeremy Bracco with the last pick of the second round. (Additionally they also picked Jespers Lindgren, Martin Dzierkals, and Dymtro Timashov).
What makes the 2015 so successful are the moves Kyle Dubas made to add an extra two prospects to the team’s depth chart. First, he moved the #24 pick (that he got for Cody Franson) that ended up being Travis Konecny for the 29th pick and the 61st pick.
Then he sent the 29th pick to Columbus for the 34th and 68th picks.
So instead of just picking Travis Konecny, the Leafs ended up with Travis Dermott (a better pick as it turns out), Jeremy Bracco, and Martin Dzierkas.
Bracco has proven to be a great pick. Last year was his second professional season with the Toronto Marlies, and he scored 79 points in 75 games.
Being a point-per-game player in the AHL – especially by the age 22 – is a great barometer of future NHL success. Hard to say if such a player will be a star or not, but it’s a rock-solid guarantee that any 22 year old who scores a point-per-game in the AHL can play in the NHL.
Bracco should have a chance to win a job with the Leafs this year in training camp, especially with Zack Hyman sidelined with an injury to start the year. With all the Leafs scoring fowards, Bracco should have no problem racking up the assists in the NHL.