#6. Jesse Blacker
It must have been because he’s a hometown kid, but Blacker was given a ton of hype that he didn’t deliver on.
Jeff Langride of Bleacher Report wrote the following about Blacker:
"“I don’t know when Jesse Blacker will make the Leafs roster full time, but when he does, the Leafs just might have a new hometown hero.”"
For a comparison like that, you’d think that it was John Tavares joining the Toronto maple Leafs.
Blacker was taken 58th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and was apart of the 2009 Memorial Cup winning Windsor Spitfires.
Upon joining the Marlies, Blacker was looked at as a great skating defenseman who could move the puck out of the defensive zone and make plays
Although he was never a goal-scorer per say in junior hockey, his assist numbers were solid and he was someone who wasn’t going to cost you when he was on the blue-line. Throughout his development, Blacker continued to improve but could never get to a point where he would be an NHL defenseman.
On Leafs prospects lists, Blacker was always in the top-10 and was even in the top-five some years as many expected him to make the leap to the NHL.
Although Blacker continues to collect a paycheck as a professional hockey player, he’s doing it in the KHL. Blacker unfortunately only ended up playing one game in the NHL.