Toronto Maple Leafs 2013 Draft: Where Are They Now?
The Leafs entered the 2013 draft coming off a heartbreaking playoff appearance accompanied with new management.
Despite the aforementioned painful series against the Boston Bruins, there was some hope in Leaf land, the idea of gritty goal-scorer David Clarkson coming home to Toronto was seen as a huge get at the time.
New general manger Dave Nonis would have a busy draft day, trying to ensure the Maple Leafs would be a slam-dunk playoff contender.
A week before the draft, Nonis would trade third-line forward Matt Frattin, backup-goaltender Ben Scrivens, a conditional 2014/15 2nd round pick (2015, traded to CBJ for Gaborik, traded back to TOR in trade down-Travis Dermott), and cash considerations to the Kings for upcoming net minder Jonathan Bernier.
He started draft day by trading picks 51 (Carl Dahlstrom), 117 (Fredrik Bergvik), and pick 98 in 2014 (Frederick Olofsson) for 2-time Stanley Cup champion Dave Bolland.
Then, Nonis and the Leafs’ scouting staff would select five players in hopes of returning to the playoffs with new, young talent.
Six years later, we take a look at their journeys from prospect to pro and where they have ended up in 2019.
This is the fourth instalment in my ‘Where Are They Now” series, so make sure to follow along & catch up with any that you missed below!
Round 1 Pick 21 – Frederik Gauthier
With the 21st overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected centreman Frederik Gauthier from Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL.
Gauthier, 6’5″, put up a solid 60 points in 62 QMJHL games his draft year but clearly wasn’t selected for his production. Gauthier, per Elite Prospects in 2013,
“Plays a very good two-way game. Works hard and is very good defensively.”
So, the Leafs selected a large, defensive forward in the first round. That is, obviously, less than ideal, especially considering players like Andre Burakovsky, Shea Theodore, Marko Dano, and Ryan Hartman were all selected after Gauthier.
Moving on, Gauthier would spend two more seasons with Rimouski (84 PTS in 91 GP) before joining the Marlies in 2015-16.
The Laval native would score just 18 points in 56 AHL games his rookie season, which would include a 7 game stint with the last-place Leafs, where he’d tally one assist.
Over the next three seasons, Gauthier would receive more NHL time and eventually earn a full-time position on the fourth-line in the 2018-19 season (14 PTS in 70 GP).
The big-bodied centre has played 107 NHL games to date, with 19 points to his name.
Gauthier, now 24, will enter the 2019-20 with the toughest competition for a bottom six role in decades. We’ll have to wait and see if Gauthier sinks or swims this training camp.
Round 3 Pick 82 – Carter Verhaeghe
With the 82nd overall pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft, the Toronto maple Leafs selected centreman Carter Verhaeghe from the Niagara Ice Dogs of the OHL.
Verhaeghe was an excellent scorer, putting up 224 points in 262 career OHL games.
At the end of Verhaeghe’s third season with Niagara, the Waterdown native would appear in two games with the Marlies, tallying one assist.
The playmaking centreman would return to Niagara to play out the entire 2014-15 season as the Ice Dogs’ captain, scoring 82 points in 68 games.
A solid prospect, Verhaeghe was was looking to make an impact with the Marlies for the 2015-16 until he was abruptly dealt to the New York Islanders in a package for speedy forward Michael Grabner.
Verhaeghe would somewhat struggle with the Islanders AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound-tigers, scoring 15 points in 30 games, and was sent to the ECHL. There, Verhaeghe would improve, scoring 25 points in 20 games with the Missouri Mavericks.
In the 2016-17 season, Verhaeghe would once again split the year between Bridgeport and Missouri, scoring 32 points in 16 ECHL games and 29 points in 45 AHL games.
On July 1st 2017, Verhaeghe, who clearly wasn’t clicking in the Islanders organization, would be dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning for goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis.
Since that trade, Verhaeghe would score 130 points in 134 AHL games and would win the 2018-19 AHL scoring title.
Verhaeghe, 24, looks to compete for a bottom six spot with the Lightning next season.
Round 5 pick 142 – Fabrice Herzog
With the 142nd overall pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected winger Fabrice Herzog from Switzerland.
Herzog was a big scorer in EV Zug’s (NLA) under-20 program, scoring 45 points in 32 games his draft year, but would struggle in 20 NLA games (4 points).
In his draft+1 year, Herzog would come to North America, joining the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. The Swiss forward would score 32 goals and 58 points in 61 games with the Remparts. Following the conclusion of his impressive QMJHL season, Herzog would join the Marlies for 5 games, but registered no points.
Herzog would return to Switzerland for the 2014-15 season and wouldn’t look back. The sharp-shooting winger would play five seasons in the NLA, four with the ZSC Lions. During his post-North America run in Switzerland, Herzog would record 78 points in 208 NLA games, including a career high 22 points in 2015-16 alongside current Leafs star Auston Matthews.
Herzog is set to play out the 2019-20 season with HC Davos of the NLA.
Round 6 Pick 172 – Antoine Bibeau
With the 172nd overall pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected goaltender Antoine Bibeau from the P.E.I Rocket of the QMJHL.
Bibeau was selected as an overager and it wasn’t hard to see why. The Quebec native posted an abysmal .868 save percentage in his draft year, but he luckily rebounded to a .911 the next season.
Following his selection, Bibeau would spend one more season in the QMJHL, recording a .905 SV% in 48 games.
Bibeau would join the Marlies in 2014, and would play starting minutes consistently for three seasons. In that time, Bibeau would average a .905 SV% over 104 games. Bibeau would also appear in two games with the Leafs, posting a .927 SV%.
In 2017, Bibeau would leave the Leafs organization and would sign a contract with the San Jose Sharks.
Bibeau would play 78 games with the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, and would post a .912 save percentage.
Bibeau, 25, currently sits as an unrestricted free agent.
Round 7 Pick 202 – Andreas Johnsson
With the 202nd overall pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected winger Andreas Johnsson from Sweden.
Johnsson put up a fantastic 54 points in 42 games with Frolunda’s SuperElit under-20 program, and was described as the following by Elite Prospects,
“[Johnsson is a] fast-skating winger with very good hands and vision. Johnsson can set up plays as well as take the shot himself. Plays with lots of energy. Very nifty stickhandler.”
So, Johnsson is a very productive, and very complete offensive player. Why did he fall to the seventh round, well as Steve Dangle so eloquently describes in the video below, Johnsson had asthma.
After several seasons in Sweden, Johnsson would join the Marlies for their playoff run in 2016. In the teams’ second round series, Johnsson was blindsided with a dirty hit from Albany Devils defender Dan Kelly, which you can see here
Johnsson came back healthy for the 2016-17 season, scoring 47 points in 75 AHL games.
Johnsson would explode for 54 points in 54 AHL games in 2017-18, and earned himself a call-up to the Leafs. The Swede would score three points in nine games with the big club.
Next. Success or Failure: Predicting 2019-20 Individual Performances. dark
Johnsson would make the Maple Leafs out of camp for the 2018-19 season, and would score 20 goals and 43 points in 74 NHL games with Toronto.
Johnsson is locked up in Toronto for four more seasons.