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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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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MARCH 27: Sean Couturier #14 of the Philadelphia Flyers scores the game winning goal in the shoot-out against Frederik Andersen #31 of the Toronto Maple Leafs.. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MARCH 27: Sean Couturier #14 of the Philadelphia Flyers scores the game winning goal in the shoot-out against Frederik Andersen #31 of the Toronto Maple Leafs.. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

#7. Winnipeg Jets

Actual: Mark Scheifele

Re-Draft: Sean Couturier

Couturier may not be the flashiest player in the NHL, but he’s a player that every team in the NHL could use.

Having originally been selected 8th overall in this draft, Couturier slides up to the 7th overall selection for the Winnipeg Jets.

With this selection, they’re getting a player similar to their original pick in Scheifele, except with a little less skill.

Couturier has been known as a great penalty-killer and shut-down centre over his career, but over the past few seasons, he’s shown that he can score. After a 31-goal campaign in the 2017-18 season, he showed it wasn’t a fluke by following it up with a 33-goal season in 2018-19.

His 2019-20 season dipped a little bit as he was only on pace for 25 goals, but that’s still a great year for almost any player.

Even as Couturier’s goal-scoring has excelled, his defensive play has stayed just as strong, as he’ll most likely be nominated for the Frank J. Selke Trophy once again this season.

#8. Philadelphia Flyers

Actual: Sean Couturier

Re-Draft: Jonathan Huberdeau

As the original third overall selection in this draft, Huberdeau has really started to excel over the last three seasons.

Paired with Aleksander Barkov every night, the duo is one of the best young tandems in the NHL and Barkov has really helped his game flourish.

Huberdeau had a break-out 2018-19 season with 92 points and was on-pace to hit the same mark if the NHL season hadn’t been shortened due to COVID-19.

The Philadelphia Flyers originally selected Couturier with this pick, who we just talked about, but they would have still been in a great spot with Huberdeau.

Huberdeau could have fit in quite well on a line with Claude Giroux and his career could have taken off even earlier if that was the case.

Either way, the Flyers original selection and re-draft would have gone quite nicely for them.

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