#3. Matt Finn
Mark Ritter of The Hockey Writers wrote an article in 2012 entitled “Was Matthew Finn The Steal of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft?”
The answer: No.
Within that article, Ritter describes Finn game and it’s possible to understand at that time why Finn looked bound for the NHL.
"“Finn’s skill set includes great skating, the ability to rush the puck, a physical element, the ability to run the power play, decent size, tremendous leadership skills and a good two-way game.”"
After taking Morgan Rielly earlier in the draft, the Leafs grabbed Finn with the 35th overall pick. At the time, Brian Burke thought that he selected two defenseman who would secure the teams blue-line for the next decade. That can be said about Rielly but not about Finn, as his NHL dreams were Finn-ished quickly.
Finn’s junior career with the Guelph Storm was spectacular as he was named to the CHL Memorial Cup All-Star team. He also finished his Storm career with 161 points, which is third among all defenseman in team history.
After four years of junior, playing for the Marlies was the next step for his development, but Finn only played 28 games with the team and spent some time in the ECHL with the Orlando Solar Bears.
Finn was eventually traded alongside four other prospects for Michael Grabner in 2015, and has not had a sniff at the NHL yet. At 26 years old and currently playing in Austria, don’t expect Finn’s NHL dreams to become a reality.