Editor In Leaf
Fansided

Could’ve Had ‘Em: Toronto Maple Leafs Recent Draft Mistakes

By Dylan Murphy

SUNRISE, FL - JUNE 26: Mitchell Marner poses after being selected fourth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FL - JUNE 26: Mitchell Marner poses after being selected fourth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Toronto Maple Leafs
June 23, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Timothy Liljegren poses for photos after being selected as the number seventeen overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

 NHL Entry Draft

In 2015, the Leafs drafted Mitch Marner (4th overall), Travis Dermott (34th), Jeremy Bracco (61st), Andrew Nielsen (65th), Martins Dzierkals (68th), Jesper Lindgren (95th), Dmytro Timashov (125th), Stephen Desrocher (155th), and Nikita Korostelev (185th)

In 2016, draft selections were Auston Matthews (1st overall), Yegor Korshkov (31st), Carl Grundstrom (58th), Joseph Woll (62nd), J.D. Greenway (72nd), Adam Brooks (92nd), Keaton Middleton (101st), Vladimir Bobylev (122nd), Jack Walker (152nd), Nicolas Mattinen (179th), and Nikolai Chebykin (182nd)

In 2017, the Leafs drafted Timothy Liljegren (17th), Eemeli Rasanen (59th), Ian Scott (110th), Vladislav Kara (124th), Fedor Gordeev (141st), Ryan McGregor (172nd), and Ryan O’Connell (203rd)

Matthews and Marner were can’t miss selections, and Liljegren, despite falling in most scouts eyes, still has top-4, if not top-pairing potential as the right-handed defenseman people clamor for. Also remember that Liljegren was projected to be a top-10 pick throughout his draft year, but fell because of a bout of mono that significantly impacted his performance.

Outside of those first-round choices, the total numbers of NHL games played by Leafs draft picks… it’s not pretty. Of all the players chosen, five have played in the NHL: Dermott (157 Games Played), Timashov (39 GP for Toronto), Korshkov (1 GP), Grundstrom (0 GP for Toronto) and Brooks (7 GP).

Timashov and Grundstrom have obviously been traded to Detroit and L.A, respectively. So that leaves us with three drafted players who have played, and of those guys, only one is an everyday roster player. While Brooks and Korshkov could both play in the NHL next season, I find it somewhat unlikely. Those kinds of results are simply not good enough, especially considering Mark Hunter’s ill-gotten reputation as a great drafting guy

Of all the players drafted during Hunter’s term, only Jeremy Bracco, the goalies Ian Scott and Joseph Woll and defenseman Jesper Lindgren have been signed to the organization to date. Bracco’s stock has fallen greatly in the last year, he was once thought to be a surefire NHL’er, now his future seems unclear. Both Scott and Woll hold NHL potential, but neither truly projects to be a clear-cut starting goalie, at least at this time. Lindgren, assuming he continues on his current track of development, seems to be a fringe player at best. The remainder of the prospects whose rights are still owned by the Leafs continue their careers in Europe and the NCAA, to middling results.

Up next is the part where things really get rough.

Home/Maple Leafs News