Re-Drafting Toronto Maple Leafs History: 2013 NHL Entry Draft

The Toronto Maple Leafs had the 21st selection in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

With the 21st pick, the Toronto Maple Leafs picked a fan favourite: Freddie “The Goat” Gauthier.

Although Gauthier hasn’t turned into a dominant centre in the NHL, he’s played 168 career games and currently had his best season with seven goals.

The Leafs had not had a dominant centre since Mats Sundin left and the 6-foot-5, 240 pound giant from Quebec was hoped by some to be that replacement.

Having represented Team Canada at the World Junior Championships two seasons in a row, Guathier was a good enough junior player to play for his country, but that didn’t translate professionally.

When he first entered the professional ranks with the Toronto Marlies, it was clear that his skating needed work. With such a big frame, he was still learning proper weight transfer to make his legs keep up with his upper body.

By working with Barb Underhill, Gauthier’s skating has improved drastically over the years and it’s a reason why he’s an everyday player with the Maple Leafs.

If you look back at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, it’s pretty stacked with reliable players in the first round. Compared to other drafts, there really aren’t too many busts.

In a re-draft, Gauthier falls outside of the first round but it doesn’t exactly mean he’s a bust either, as the 21st pick in the draft typically isn’t a superstar player.

Let’s take a look back at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft in detail, re-drafting the entire first round.

#1. Colorado Avalanche

Actual: Nathan MacKinnon

Re-Draft: Nathan MacKinnon

Colorado made the right pick back in 2013 when they selected MacKinnon first overall, as he would still be the number-one selection today.

After a good start to his career averaging 20 goals and 55 points per season, here’s what MacKinnon has done lately:

• 2017-18 Season: 39 goals, 97 points
• 2018-19 Season: 41 goals, 99 points
• 2019-20 Season: 35 goals, 93 points

Since Mikko Rantanen was injured for a majority of the season, MacKinnon finished the year with 43 more points than anyone else on his team. The former Calder Trophy winner will most likely be nominated for the Hart Trophy this year for the second time in three seasons, but with that substantial lead on his teammates, it wouldn’t be surprising if he received a few first-place votes.

Not only is MacKinnon one of the best players in the NHL, but he’s doing it making only (yes, only) $6.3 million per season.

The Avalanche lucked out when they signed him before he peaked and lucked out getting the number-one selection back in 2013.

#2. Florida Panthers

Actual: Aleksander Barkov

Re-Draft: Aleksander Barkov

Seven years later and the number-one and two selections will stay the same with MacKinnon and Barkov.

Barkov had an incredible 2018-19 season winning the Lady Byng trophy after having 35 goals and 96 points, while only registering eight penalty minutes.

Often compared to Anze Kopitar, which is huge praise, former Panthers G.M., Dale Tallon said that Barkov is the best 200-foot player in the NHL

As a centre, your defensive play is just as important as your offensive play, but there’s not a large percentage of players in the league that can be exceptional at both. Either you’re a really good shut-down defender, or you have the ability to score.

Barkov has both.

Since his third season in the NHL, Barkov has been much better than a point-per game player with 347 points in 293 games.

Although Barkov was widely considered the most underrated player in the NHL, I think that secret is out now, as he’ll be a Lady Byng and Selke Trophy nominee for the next decade, and could very well be a Hart Trophy candidate if he helps turn the Panthers into a perennial playoff team.

#3. Tampa Bay Lightning

Actual: Jonathan Drouin

Re-Draft: Seth Jones

The original selection in this draft seemed like an offensive weapon that would light up the NHL for years.

After scoring 105 points in 48 games in the QJMHL, Jonathan Drouin looked ready for the NHL. Unfortunately his career hasn’t panned out the way he’d hoped or Tampa Bay had hoped, as they traded Drouin only four years after drafting him.

Seth Jones is another player who was traded at a similar time as Drouin, but it was more of a hockey trade than anything. Nashville had a ton of great defensemen and wanted more scoring help so they shipped Jones to Columbus for Ryan Johansen.

The trade has worked out for both sides, but probably more for Jones who is now one of the best young defenseman in the NHL.

Jones’ play in the past few years had made him a strong candidate for a Norris Trophy for the next decade.

#4. Nashville Predators

Actual: Seth Jones

Re-Draft: Sean Monahan

For anyone who follows the @boringmonahan account on Twitter, it’s an absolute joy, although Sean Monahan’s game is far from boring.

In seven seasons with the Calgary Flames, he’s yet to have a season where he scored less than 20 goals.

If you’re comparing Monahan to someone in the NHL, John Tavares is a player that comes to mind.

Sean Monahan:

• Year 4: 27 goals, 58 points
• Year 5: 31 goals, 64 points
• Year 6: 34 goals, 82 points
• Year 7: 22 goals, 48 points
• Total: 274 Games Played: 114 Goals, 252 Points

John Tavares:

• Year 4: 28 goals, 47 points
• Year 5: 24 goals, 66 points
• Year 6: 38 goals, 86 points
• Year 7: 33 goals, 70 points
• Total: 267 Games, 123 Goals, 269 Points

Tavares has a few more goals and points but Monahan is in the ball-park, as Tavares has also yet to have a season where he scored less than 20 goals in a season.

#5. Carolina Hurricanes

Actual: Elias Lindholm

Re-Draft: Bo Horvat

At the beginning of the 2019-20 season, Horvat became the captain of the Vancouver Canucks.

Originally drafted ninth overall, the Canucks traded Cory Schneider for the rights to draft Horvat. Although the Canucks struggled with goaltending as Schneider provided the Devils a few great seasons, this trade worked out very well for them.

Horvat is a minimum 20-goal scorer and 55-point man, but it’s his leadership that has made him so valuable. He’s made the playoffs with the Canucks in the past, but for most of his career his season has ended without an opportunity to compete for a Stanley Cup.

Having just turned 25-years-old, Horvat will a be a key reason towards Vancouver’s hopes of getting back to a Stanley Cup Final.

#6. Calgary Flames

Actual: Sean Monahan

Re-Draft: Jake Guentzel

The Flames did a great job by picking Monahan originally with this pick because as you can see, he went fourth overall in a re-draft.

Despite not being able to select Monahan again, the Flames still get some fire-power with Jake Guentzel.

Guentzel has played a lot less NHL games than the five players we just talked about, but in much shorter time is already sixth in goal scoring in this draft class.

With 33 points in 40 games during his rookie season, he followed it up with 21 points in 25 playoff games, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.

After having such an incredible rookie campaign, he hasn’t slowed down. Guentzel scored 40 goals and had 76 points in the 2018-19 season and was on-pace to break both of those marks this season, had injuries not shortened his season.

The only reason Guentzel isn’t higher on this list is because he’s played a lot less games than everyone else, but it wouldn’t be shocking if he rose if we ever do another re-draft.

#7. Edmonton Oilers

Actual: Darnell Nurse

Re-Draft: Shea Theodore

After selecting forwards first overall for three consecutive seasons, the Edmonton Oilers found themselves with the seventh overall selection.

They couldn’t go with another forward could they?

No they couldn’t, as they originally decided to go with defenseman Darnell Nurse. Nurse is a good player and has been a good pick for the Oilers, but there was another defenseman on the board they should have selected instead: Shea Theodore.

It’s taken Theodore a while to crack an NHL lineup, but over the past two seasons, we’ve seen what he can do.

Theodore’s best NHL season came this year when he had 13 goals and 46 points, which was good enough for 10th among all NHL defenseman. Although it’s taken him a little longer to make the leap to the NHL, he’s only 24-years-old, and is only going to get better.

The Vegas Golden Knights recently locked Theodore up until the 2024-25 season at $5.2 million per season and that contract is already looking like a bargain.

#8. Buffalo Sabres

Actual: Rasmus Ristolainen

Re-Draft: Anthony Mantha

At 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, Mantha is a beast. Not only that, but he can score.

In four seasons, he’s already had two 20-goal campaigns and was on-pace for another one, had he not missed a month of action in the middle of the season.

The Detroit Red Wings are not a good team, but Mantha is one of the bright spots, alongside Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi.

Although Ristolainen is a great player (spoiler alert, he’s going next), the Buffalo Sabres have shown for the past few years that need two things: secondary scoring and goaltending.

Mantha can’t stop the puck but he can’t help the team score more than Ristolainen, so in a re-draft, Mantha would have been a great selection here, playing alongside Jack Eichel every night.

#9. Vancouver Canucks

Actual: Bo Horvat

Re-Draft: Rasmus Ristolainen

The Canucks lucked out with drafting their future captain when they originally selected Bo Horvat with this pick, but in a re-draft, defense is the way to go.

The future of the Vancouver Canucks is filled with offensive talent in J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, and why not compliment the blue-line by selecting Rasmus Ristolainen here?

The Canucks best defenseman for the past decade has been Alex Edler, until this season when Quinn Hughes joined the team.

Edler is a steady defenseman but besides him, the Canucks defensive-core was pretty weak in the 2010s. Linked with bad goaltending, that’s one of the main reasons why the Canucks hadn’t made the playoffs for the past four seasons.

Ristolainen would have provided some stability on the blue-line and helped the Canucks here. He’s steady offensively scoring six goals and 40 points almost every season and is a fine pick in this re-draft.

#10. Dallas Stars

Actual: Valeri Nichushkin

Re-Draft: Andreas Johnsson

Valeri Nichushkin has had an interesting start to his professional career. He had a good rookie season, followed by a dismal sophomore season, went back to Russia and played in the KHL for two seasons and is now an everyday player with the Avalanche.

However, in a re-draft, the Dallas Stars won’t have to worry about Nichushkin, as they’ll be able to select current Toronto Maple Leafs forward, Andreas Johnsson.

With a few players like Elias Lindholm, Andre Burakovsky and Darnell Nurse still on the board, picking Johnsson here is a little bit of a stretch, but let me tell you why.

Over the past two seasons, Johnsson has proved that he’s a dynamic winger and proven winner. Johnsson’s domination of the American Hockey League where he captured the Calder Cup MVP, showed that he’s ready for the next step and going to be a phenomenal NHL talent.

Although he’s only played 125 NHL games, this selection is based off prediction. After scoring 20 goals and 43 points in his rookie season, I don’t think that was a fluke.

Johnsson will continue to be a 20-goal scorer for the next decade and would be a remarkable pick here for Dallas, especially on the power-play with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn.