The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted eight players in the 2024 NHL entry draft. However, they only had one pick in the first three rounds.
That means that Toronto Maple Leafs general manager, Brad Treliving and his staff are betting on some hidden gems from the later rounds to turn into NHL-capable players.
The Leafs did have a first-round pick in the draft, so that was good. With the 31st overall pick, the Leafs selected defenseman Ben Danford from the Oshawa Generals in the OHL. He registered one goal and 32 assists for 33 points in 64 games for the Generals in his draft year. Danford also registered ten points in 21 playoff games that spring. (All stats from eliteprospects.com)
After selecting Danford, the Leafs had to wait until the 4th round to make their next selection. With the 120th overall pick, the Leafs selected Swedish defenseman Victor Johansson. In the 5th round, the Leafs made three selections. Miroslav Holinka (151st), Alexander Plesovskikh (152nd), and Timofei Obvintsev (157th).
The Leafs then made three selections in the 7th round with Matt Lahey (200th), Sam McCue (216th), and Nathan Mayes (225th).
Now that all of these players have reached the halfway point in their respective leagues, I thought it would be a great time to check in on them and see how they're doing this season. I will start with Danford and work my way through the Leafs draft order.