#4. William Nylander
2014 NHL Entry Draft: 8th Overall
The Maple Leafs only had a 3.6 percent chance at winning the number-one overall pick, but a 87.7 percent chance at the eighth overall selection, which is what ultimately happened.
Although the Leafs selected eighth overall and picked William Nylander, they actually got the sixth best player in the entire draft.
As his career progresses, it’s quite possible that Nylander will end up being even higher on that list, but regardless, the Leafs got a steal with this selection.
Nylander was getting criticized daily after holding-out of his contract and then only producing seven goals for the 2018-19 season. Although that criticism was justified, Nylander showed the world what type of player he could be if he had a true summer to train and a training camp to get ready.
Producing 31 goals in the 2019-20 season, Nylander was most likely going to end up closer to 35 goals if they played a true 82-game season.
This is just the beginning for the 24-year-old. With a long-term contract signed, he’s got nothing to worry about for the next few seasons, except producing at an exceptional pace and making even more money down the road.
Hopefully all of the critics have been quieted now because Nylander will continue to be a top-three scoring option on the Maple Leafs for the next five years.