Toronto Maple Leafs: Top 3 Late Round Picks Since 2010

Every year each team in the NHL hopes to have a late-round steal. The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a couple of notable ones in past years. Which are the Best?

There was a total of 217 Picks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and odds are that there will be a number of players who will prove they should’ve been selected higher. This year, the Toronto Maple Leafs made three sixth round selections and three seventh round selections, hoping to strike gold late.

Some notable Steals over history include names like Brett Hull, Pavel Datsyuk,  Doug Gilmore, and Henrik Lundqvist – not a big deaaaaaaal.

With names like Morgan Rielly, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and Nick Robertson, it seems over the past decade, the Leafs have been putting the past of terrible drafting behind them. In addition to those, there’s been a couple of late-round steals who have proved that they should have been drafted higher.

Often it’s rounds 1, 2, and 3, that are looked at as the primary and most important. Beyond that, often picks are all over the board. For that and the purpose of this list, we will only be ranking players who were selected in the fourth round and beyond.

With that in mind, let’s get into it.

Connor Brown

Unlike Abramov, Connor Brown a proven NHLer was a hometown name that all Leafs Fans name to love during his tenure in the 6ix. Brown was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 6th round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, 156th Overall.

In his draft year, Brown led a subpar Erie Otters with 25 goals and 53 points in 68 games. In his second year, he would then leap to 69 points in 63 games. Then in his third year, Brown erupted for 45 goals and 128 points in 68 games ultimately capturing the OHL and CHL scoring title. That season he was also awarded the Red Tilson Trophy being named the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player. In his last 2 seasons, Brown served the Otters as Captain before being succeeded by some guy named Connor Mcdavid.

After his outstanding junior career, Brown was quickly brought to the next stage in his career, the AHL. Over two seasons, Brown would put up 90 points in 110 games.

Brown was easily able to find a scoring touch early in his career it seemed to transfer over to his NHL career quite seamlessly. In his rookie campaign with his home town team, he would put up 20 goals and 36 points in 82 games.

In 253 career games over four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brown recorded 99 points while bouncing up and down the lineup consistently. His most memorable moment in his tenure was the game-winning goal that would ultimately send the underdog Leafs to the playoffs in 2017.

I remember this game like it was yesterday. I had just finished a long day at school and had to work that night from 7-11. Once I got to work I begged my boss to let me do dishes in the back so that I could listen to the game. I remember listening to Joe Bowen make the call of the goal and then screaming in the back of the restaurant as my co-workers wondered what the hell was wrong with me.

I remember how cool it was to think that a hometown kid who was picked just in the 6th round of his draft year had come this far to send his team to the finals and I remember how ecstatic it made me to see.

Sadly in 2019, Brown was included in the dire needed Nikita Zaitsev trade. Brown was sent to Ottawa where at least he was given the opportunity to flourish. In Ottawa Brown’s ice time rose from 13:48 with the Leafs, to 20:07. On a very inadequate Senators team, Brown tallied 16 goals and 43 points in 71 games.

To this day Connor Brown has not missed an NHL game, playing 324 straight without injury. Not too bad for a 26-year-old 6th round pick.

Andreas Johnsson

Andreas Johnsson, who’s story is unlike any other, is your Toronto Maple Leafs best draft steal since 2010, and rightly so.

Johnsson was selected in the 7th round, in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, 202nd Overall. In his Draft year, Johnsson had a number of obstacles in his path. He was dealing with a little thing called undiagnosed asthma which hindered his performance. Johnsson was held to 54 points in 42 games in the Swedish Juinor League.

After Johnsson’s struggles in his draft year, he exploded. 24 points in 44 games for Frölunda. He also went on to represent Sweden at the WJC in 2014 and record 6 points in 7 games while assisting his team in capturing a silver medal.

Johnsson came over to North America in 2016 to join the Toronto Marlies after a very successful career in Sweden. He would spent parts of two seasons with them while playing up with the Leafs for the tailend of the second season. In 129 career games in the AHL, Johnsson tallied 101 points before being called up to the Leafs for their playoff run agaisnt the Bruins in 2018 (we all know how that ended).

After the disapointting loss, Johnsson was sent back down to the Marlies to dominate in capturing the Calder Cup. Johnsson led his team in points and was named playoff MVP.

After his notable run in the AHL, it was apparant that Johnsson would be ready to be a full time NHLer the next season, and that’s just what he did. In 73 games during the 2018-19 season, Johnsson notched 20 goals and 43 points – good enough for 8th in calder voting (all stats hockeyreference.com).

From his rookie campaign, Johnsson was rightfully awarded a 4-year $13.6 million ($3.4 million AAV) contract.  Sadly this past season, Johnsson was injury ridden, only playing 43 games. He still recorded 21 points but missed a majority of the season and only played in one of the play-in games against Columbus.

Johnsson was traded away this offseason to the New Jersey Devils for a boatload of capspace and for prospect Joey Anderson.  Andreas Johnsson can and will be a consistent 20 goal scorer who can play up and down the lineup. The Devils are a lucky team to have him and it broke my heart to see Johnsson leave and I’m sure he will be a great fit for the Devils.

Johnsson has yet to reach his ceiling. I believe Johnsson is a valuable player who will slot in perfectly to NJ’s top-6 and make a name for himself. If Johnsson can avoid the injury bug he will continue to grow and without a doubt become the Leafs best draft steal since 2010 (even though he won’t be playing for them anymore).