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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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CALGARY, AB – FEBRUARY 1: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins #93 of the Edmonton Oilers.. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)
CALGARY, AB – FEBRUARY 1: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins #93 of the Edmonton Oilers.. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /

#9. Boston Bruins (From Toronto Maple Leafs)

Actual: Dougie Hamilton

Re-Draft: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

If the Toronto Maple Leafs never traded for Phil Kessel, they could have ended up with the ninth selection in this draft, or an even better pick.

Instead, the team ended up gift-wrapping Dougie Hamilton to them, instead of using their draft picks to rebuild.

It hurts even more that the Bruins got this selection from the Leafs, but it is what is is.

In re-draft, the Bruins original draft pick would have already been off the board, and instead they  would have be given the opportunity to draft the original number-one overall pick: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Besides Connor McDavid, the Edmonton Oilers and number-one overall draft picks haven’t worked out as well as they hoped. Nail Yakupov (2012) is already out of NHL, whereas Taylor Hall (2010) was traded and proceeded to win the Hart Trophy in New Jersey. Ouch.

Nugent-Hopkins hasn’t been a bust, but in a re-draft, there were eight other players the Oilers probably should have selected instead of him.

With the ninth overall pick, Nugent-Hopkins is still a great selection for the Bruins here. He’s not first-overall worthy in this draft, but he’s still fifth in overall points with 443 points in his draft class.

On a team with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins doesn’t have to be “the guy”, so he’s currently in a great spot in Edmonton as the typical second-line centre, but could have been in an even better spot if he were drafted to a veteran Boston Bruins team, where he could take his time to learn and develop.

#10. Minnesota Wild

Actual: Jonas Brodin

Re-Draft: Mika Zibanejad

The Ottawa Senators made a great selection picking Mika Zibanejad sixth overall in the original draft and in a re-draft, the Wild would much rather have had Zibanejad over Brodin.

No disrespect to Brodin, as he’s played 555 career NHL games, but Zibanejad is an absolute sniper.

The only reason Zibanejad falls to number 10 in this re-draft is because he’s only broke out in the last two seasons and I need to see a little bit more. If we did this re-draft after everyone’s career is over, there’s a real possibility that he’s a top-five selection.

In an 82-game season, Zibanejad was on-pace for 59 (!) goals this season. Paired with Artemi Panarin, the tandem found serious chemistry and Zibanejad turned into that player that the Ottawa Senators hoped for when they originally drafted him sixth overall.

The duo of Zibanejad and Panarin are locked up for another two years minimum, so it’ll be interesting to see if they can keep up their pace, but I do think it’s possible.

Panarin’s play-making has helped Zibanejad so much this year that it wouldn’t be a shock if he hit 40 goals again, if not 50 goals next season and beyond.

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