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Re-Drafting Toronto Maple Leafs History: 2011 NHL Entry Draft

By Stephen Nixon

ST PAUL, MN - JUNE 24: 22nd overall pick Tyler Biggs of the Toronto Maple Leafs poses for a portrait during day one of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at Xcel Energy Center on June 24, 2011 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
ST PAUL, MN - JUNE 24: 22nd overall pick Tyler Biggs of the Toronto Maple Leafs poses for a portrait during day one of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at Xcel Energy Center on June 24, 2011 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 9: Jonathan Bernier #45 of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – DECEMBER 9: Jonathan Bernier #45 of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images) /

#3. Florida Panthers

Actual: Jonathan Huberdeau

Re-Draft: Gabriel Landeskog

Although Landeskog is going later than he did in the real draft, this shouldn’t be a discredit to him.

Any team in the NHL would be lucky to have him, but Scheifele and Kucherov are just a little bit better than him.

With the third selection in this re-draft, the Florida Panthers would have loved to select Landeskog with this pick.

Landeskog is a natural born leader having been the captain of the Kitchener Rangers during junior, and then became (at the time), the youngest captain in NHL history when the Avalanche gave him that honor in 2012.

Currently in his seventh NHL season, Landeskog has averaged 20-goals per season, but it’s his two-way ability that has made him so special. He not only has a strong ability to score every night, but his play-making skills are just as good.

He’s also not afraid to hit or fight, which makes him an awesome leader for the Colorado Avalanche.

#4. New Jersey Devils

Actual: Adam Larsson

Re-Draft: Johnny Gaudreau

You could have made an argument that Gaudreau would go ahead of Landeskog but that sand-paper element that Landeskog brings every night can be more valuable than goals.

However, “Johnny Hockey’s” ability to rack up points is incredibly impressive.

Originally drafted 104th overall in this draft, there’s nobody that scouts wrongly predicted more than Gaudreau.

At 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, scouts clearly didn’t think he was big enough to play in the NHL. Back in 2011, small players were playing in the NHL, but there was still a stigma towards whether or not you could excel at that height and weight.

Gaudreau has shown that size doesn’t matter and proved all his critics wrong, as he’s been one of the most dynamic players in the league the past few seasons.

Gaudreau narrowly missed out on the 100-point club in the 2018-19 season finishing with 99 points, which included 36 goals. He’s been the MVP of the Calgary Flames and has been one half of one of the best duos in the NHL, paired up with Sean Monahan most nights.

For a New Jersey Devils team that has been irrelevant since making the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012, they could have used the Salem, New Jersey native of Gaudreau to help make their team marketable to fans and sell more tickets.

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