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The Top 5 Worst Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Picks of All-Time

By Brian Westland

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 5: Brandon Convery #12 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim during NHL game action on October 5, 1996 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 5: Brandon Convery #12 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim during NHL game action on October 5, 1996 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – DECE (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – DECE (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /

# 3 Jeff Ware

Arriving from the OHL’s Oshawa Generals in the 1995 draft, Jeff Ware was another big, hard-hitting defenceman with a can’t miss reputation.

As a member of the Generals Ware played on an OHL championship winning squad and also a gold medal-winning World Junior Champion Team Canada. The Toronto Maple Leafs chose the hulking defender at number 15 overall.

Ware only managed to get into 15 games with the buds during the years,  1997-98 and never saw time in the show again except for a very brief six game stint with the Florida Panthers during the 1998-99 season.

Ware’s NHL statistics were unimpressive with only one point, an assist, recorded in 21  games played while accumulating 12 penalty minutes.

Ware settled into a career as a minor league journeyman D-man for various AHL teams, but suffered from knee injuries during his pro career and following five knee surgeries, he finally hung up his skates in 2002 as a member of the Syracuse Crunch.

Had the Leafs passed on Ware, they could have had a pick from among a number of future NHL regulars instead such as Buffalo Sabres’ goalie Martin Biron, New Jersey Devil’s centre, Peter Sykora, Philadelphia Flyers’ goalie Brian Boucher, Alexei Morozov of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and perhaps most regrettably Marc Savard, who would become a star for the Boston Bruins before having his career ended by devastating hits from Matt Cooke in 2010 and Matt Hunwick in 2011.

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