The 2008-09 Toronto Maple Leafs season unfortunately become another year the team missed the playoffs.
With a new Head Coach and General Manager the Toronto Maple Leafs finished with a 34-35-13 record.
As an established coach in the NHL, Ron Wilson was hired as the predecessor to Paul Maurice. Shortly after, Brian Burke joined the Leafs in what felt like an incredible move by management.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were a team with no stars and were struggling to stay relevant, having missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season. Jason Blake was the teams highest scorer, while Vesa Toskala was the primary starting goaltender.
There was however a little blessing during this forgetful season. After leaving the team in 2002 to pursue a Stanley Cup in Detroit, Curtis Joseph returned to the Toronto Maple Leafs to end his career.
‘Cujo’ was a fan-favourite in Toronto and is arguably one of the top-five goaltenders in Leafs history, so his return was welcome. Although his stats weren’t similar to his previous stint in Toronto, the ability to retire with his hometown team was something fans will always remember.
With another season finished and a top-10 draft pick for the second year in a row, the Leafs held the seventh overall pick.
Hoping to pick up a player to build around, the Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Nazem Kadri who would go onto play 561 career games with the Leafs, including two 30-goal campaigns.
Now let’s look back at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in more detail and see how Toronto would’ve fared in a re-draft. (Information from hockeydb.com).
2009 NHL Entry Draft Re-Draft
#1. New York Islanders
Actual: John Tavares
Re-Draft: Victor Hedman
In the actual 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders selected John Tavares who has been nothing but spectacular as a professional.
Tavares was the perennial number-one pick so it was no surprise that he went first overall, but in the re-draft the Islanders may be regretting their decision.
As mentioned, Tavares is a great player but Victor Hedman is arguably the best defenseman in the NHL.
The 2017-18 Norris Trophy winner has been a finalist two other times and seems to be getting better with age, so although any team would love Tavares, he’s never been looked at the best player at his position
#2. Tampa Bay Lightning
Actual: Victor Hedman
Re-Draft: John Tavares
If the New York Islanders would’ve passed on Tavares in the real draft, fans on Long Island would have been furious.
However, as the years pass, Hedman has jumped ahead of Tavares as the best pick in the draft. Despite now missing out on a future Hall-of-Fame defenseman, Tavares is a great pick-up at number two.
Within his draft class, Tavares has 100 more goals and 180 more points than anyone else.
He has 11 straight 20-goal seasons and has been a captain for not only New York but currently Toronto. Tavares is on-pace to be a Hall-of-Famer himself, but more importantly let’s hope he guides the Toronto Maple Leafs to their first Stanley Cup since 1967.
2009 NHL Entry Draft Re-Draft
#3. Colorado Avalanche
Actual: Matt Duchene
Re-Draft: Ryan O’Reilly
This pick is actually kind of ironic because the Avalanche selected O’Reilly with the 33rd overall pick in this actual draft. In that real draft, Colorado had one of the greatest draft year’s of all-time.
The Avalanche’s first three round selections went as followed: First Round (Matt Duchene), Second Round (Ryan O’Reilly), Third Round (Tyson Barrie). That is incredible.
In a re-draft, the Avalanche would be lucky to pick him up again, as he’s shown to be one of the best two-way centers in the NHL. O’Reilly is not only a Stanley Cup champion, but he’s also won the Conn Smythe Trophy, Selke Trophy and Lady Byng Trophy.
O’Reilly is a proven winner and his determination and passion on the ice is what makes him such a high pick in this re-draft.
#4. Atlanta Thrashers
Actual: Evander Kane
Re-Draft: Evander Kane
It’s a real shame that the Atlanta Trashers no longer exist, because selfishly I loved their jerseys.
This was a tough pick to make because Matt Duchene is still available, but the Thrashers made the right choice with Kane.
Duchene and Kane statistically are similar players but it comes down to which player would you want when it matters?
Kane can score 30 goals a year while playing with an edge that teams love in the playoffs. Kane has also seen a resurgence in his career since moving to the San Jose Sharks whereas Duchene’s career has slipped after moving to Ottawa, Columbus and recently Nashville.
2009 NHL Entry Draft Re-Draft
#5. Los Angeles Kings
Actual: Brayden Schenn
Re-Draft: Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Although Schenn didn’t play long with the Los Angeles Kings, he ended up being a trade chip which helped guide the Kings to two Stanley Cups.
After only playing nine NHL games with LA, Schenn was sent to Philadelphia with Wayne Simmonds and a second round pick, in exchange for Mike Richards and Rob Bordson. Richards wasn’t as statistically great as he was with the Flyers, but played a key part in the teams two Stanley Cup runs.
On the other hand, if the Kings were to re-draft, Oliver Ekman-Larsson would have been be a no-brainer pick, as he’s one of the most talented offensive defenseman in the NHL. With six consecutive double-digit goal seasons, Ekman-Larsson would be a top pairing defenseman on almost every team.
#6. Phoenix Coyotes
Actual: Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Re-Draft: Matt Duchene
The Phoenix Coyotes would have missed their All-Star defenseman if they were awarded a re-draft this year. However, they still would have been awarded with 2014 Olympic Gold medalist Matt Duchene.
Duchene has had a very interesting career. There is no doubt that he’s incredibly talented, but he hasn’t had a huge breakout season that many expected. As the original third overall pick in this draft, it felt like Duchene would be among one of the NHL’s best forwards.
It’s not like Duchene has been a bust or anything. In 793 career NHL games, he has 589 points which is second among active players. However, the true reason why he falls here is because he’s failed to score 20 goals in two of his last four seasons.
#7. Toronto Maple Leafs
Actual: Nazem Kadri
Re-Draft: Nazem Kadri
It’s never as exciting when a team actually picks the right player during a re-draft, especially when it’s the hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. However, Toronto’s newly appointed G.M. Brian Burke made the right pick with Kadri.
Kadri took a little development in the OHL and AHL before making the Leafs roster, but when he jumped in as a full time player in 2012, he proved to be worth the wait.
Kadri scores roughly 20 goals each year and is perfect second-line center on any team.
#8. Dallas Stars
Actual: Scott Glennie
Re-Draft: Chris Kreider
This was hands down the biggest bust in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. At the time, this seemed like a great draft pick because Glennie, who is a 6-foot-one, 200 pound center had 89 and 91 points in his last two years in junior.
However, Glennie could never crack the Stars roster and subsequently played six years in the American Hockey League. There is a silver lining as Glennie was part of a Calder Cup winning Texas Stars team, but unfortunately that’s not what Dallas wanted with the eighth overall pick.
What Dallas would have preferred is someone like Chris Kreider. In Kreider’s last seven seasons in New York, he’s averaging 22 goals per season. His teammates have called him a ‘freak athlete’ because of his speed and ability to shoot the puck.
Dallas missed the playoffs four consecutive seasons after this draft and it probably has a lot to do with their scouting department and unfortunate ability to miss out on great players like Kreider.
#9. Ottawa Senators
Actual: Jared Cowen
Re-Draft: Nick Leddy
The curious case of Jared Cowen. Traded in the Dion Phaneuf deal between Ottawa and Toronto, Cowen was bought out by the Leafs and then never seen again.
As a high draft-pick, Cowen seemed like he could fit into the NHL. Standing tall at 6-foot-five, 240 pounds, he was the prototypical Western Hockey League defenseman, helping his Spokane Chiefs win the 2008 Memorial Cup. However, his career never transpired as a professional and Ottawa is regretting this pick.
Ottawa should have still gone with a defenseman at the number-nine spot, but instead they should have gone with Nick Leddy. “Steady Leddy” is what NHL coaches dream of. He’s a great puck-moving defenseman with incredible skating ability and rarely misses a game.
#10. Edmonton Oilers
Actual: Magnus Paajarvi
Re-Draft: Anders Lee
There are a few things certain in life: Death, taxes and the Edmonton Oilers screwing up their first round draft pick. In Paajarvi’s rookie season, he performed adequately with 15 goals but things went downhill quickly.
It took nine seasons for Paajarvi to hit double-digit goals in a season again before just recently heading to the KHL. It’s actually impressive he stayed in the league for as long as he did.
Anders Lee on the other hand, is one of the most underrated players in the NHL. As the current captain of the New York Islanders, Lee has bloomed into a prolific goal-scorer. He has five 20-goal seasons in his last six campaigns, while eclipsing the 40-goal mark in 2017-18.
Originally drafted as the 152nd overall selection, Lee has been a steal for the Islanders and is a player that Connor McDavid would desperately love playing beside in Edmonton.
11. Nashville Predators
Actual: Ryan Ellis
Re-Draft: Brayden Schenn
12. New York Islanders
Actual: Calvin de Haan
Re-Draft: Ryan Ellis
13. Buffalo Sabres
Actual: Zack Kassian
Re-Draft: Tyson Barrie
14. Florida Panthers
Actual: Dmitri Kulkov
Re-Draft: Mike Hoffman
15. Anaheim Ducks
Actual: Peter Holland
Re-Draft: Marcus Johansson
16. Minnesota Wild
Actual: Nick Leddy
Re-Draft: Craig Smith
17. St. Louis Blues
Actual: David Rundblad
Re-Draft: Sami Vatanen
18. Montreal Canadiens
Actual: Louis Leblanc
Re-Draft: Robin Lehner
19. New York Rangers
Actual: Chris Kreider
Re-Draft: Tomas Tatar
20. New Jersey Devils
Actual: Jacob Josefson
Re-Draft: Reilly Smith
21. Columbus Blue Jackets
Actual: John Moore
Re-Draft: Cody Eakin
22. Vancouver Canucks
Actual: Jordan Schroeder
Re-Draft: Kyle Clifford
23. Calgary Flames
Actual: Tim Erixon
Re-Draft: Dmitri Kulikov
24. Washington Capitals
Actual: Marcus Johansson
Re-Draft: Kyle Palmieri
25. Boston Bruins
Actual: Jordan Caron
Re-Draft: Mattias Ekholm
26. Anaheim Ducks
Actual: Kyle Palmieri
Re-Draft: Zack Kassian
27. Carolina Hurricanes
Actual: Philippe Paradis
Re-Draft: Calvin de Haan
28. Chicago Blackhawks
Actual: Dylan Olsen
Re-Draft: Brayden McNabb
29. Tampa Bay Lightning
Actual: Carter Ashton
Re-Draft: Darcy Kuemper
30. Pittsburgh Penguins
Actual: Simon Despres
Red-Draft: Jakob Silfverberg
If you look at the 2009 NHL Entry Re-Draft, it’s crazy to think what could have been.
The Tampa Bay Lightning would have ended up with John Tavares, which meant maybe he never would have came to Toronto? It’s possible that Tavares, alongside Steven Stamkos would have helped the Lightning win a Stanley Cup so he never would have wanted to come home.
Current Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tyson Barrie would have ended up in Buffalo, while Nazem Kadri’s fate would still have been the same by starting his career in Toronto.
Teams like Dallas, Edmonton and Ottawa all would have been better off with a re-draft because they would have been able to fix the huge mistakes they made back in 2009.
Regardless, old drafts make us remember the good and bad times about that current state as a Toronto Maple Leafs fan and we’re all thankful the Leafs don’t have to worry about drafting high anytime soon.