Editor In Leaf
Fansided

Re-Drafting Toronto Maple Leafs History: 2014 NHL Entry Draft

By Stephen Nixon

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 27: William Nylander is selected eighth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at the Wells Fargo Center on June 27, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 27: William Nylander is selected eighth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at the Wells Fargo Center on June 27, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 7
Next
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 20: William Nylander #88 of the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 20: William Nylander #88 of the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

#5. New York Islanders

Actual: Michael Dal Colle

Re-Draft: Aaron Ekblad

The New York Islanders join the Carolina Hurricanes as teams that really regret their first round pick in the top-10 of this draft.

Dal Colle has played 85 NHL games with the Islanders and has been a semi-regular NHL player this year, but he’s not a top-five talent in this draft.

Ekblad on the other hand, who was the original number-one overall selection in this draft, falls to number-five and could have been a great addition the blue-line for the Islanders. The Islanders are already a defensive-minded team led by Barry Trotz, but adding Ekblad could have made them even stronger.

Ekblad already has five seasons of double-digit goals and his best offensive season came this year when he exceeded 40 points for the first time, scoring 41 points in only 67 games.

He’s yet to have that huge breakout season, but at only 24-years-old, there’s no doubt that a monster offensive season is coming for the young defenseman soon.

#6. Vancouver Canucks

Actual: Jake Virtanen

Re-Draft: William Nylander

Thank goodness this isn’t how the real NHL Draft went because Toronto Maple Leafs fans wouldn’t have been able to argue about Nylander’s contract and call him overrated one day and underrated the next, if he was selected to the Canucks.

After scoring 45 goals and 100 points in his draft year, scouts fell in love with Jake Virtanen. However, his game hasn’t transitioned to the professional ranks as the Canucks hoped, and he’s yet to have a 20-goal season in the NHL.

Nylander on the other hand has been exceptional. If you take away the 2018-19 gong-show, Nylander has been a great young player for the Toronto Maple Leafs, especially this year.

Having only played 68 games, Nylander scored 31 goals while adding 59 points. Second only to Auston Matthews in goals, Nylander has been a perfect second-line winger alongside John Tavares and has allowed the Leafs to go with Matthews and Mitch Marner up-front to balance out the line-up.

Depending on how his career progresses, Nylander could be an even higher pick if we do another re-draft in a few years.

Home/Editorials