23 Options For the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2024 NHL Draft - Andrew Basha

Introduction

Andrew Basha is a Left Winger from Calgary, Alberta. He was drafted in the 5th round of the 2020 WHL Draft by Medicine Hat. This past season, Basha had 30 goals, 55 assists & 85 points in 63 points for the Tigers. 40 of those points came in 31 games without fellow 2024 prospect Cayden Lindstrom, who returned in the WHL playoffs. (Credit to Mike Morreale of NHL.com for the fact)

Basha is a bit of a smaller forward at 5'11 and 187lbs, but he doesn't play lilike He's undersized. Basha is a hard-hard-working and highly engaged winger with strong offensive awareness.

Basha Is well recepeted by most top public scouts, as high as 18th by EliteProspects. (I myself might be highest on Basha, who I have ranked at 16th. I'll cover that in the next slide).

What makes Basha so intriguing isn't just his offensive ability, but his ability to create opportunities on a consistent basis, Basha is a player that never stops working, each shift you can rely on him to try to make an impact where he can.

For a player who shows a lot of effort, a lot of his best traits look near effortless.

Scouting Report

On a stacked Medicine Hat team, Basha consistently found ways to upstage his highly talked about teammates. Alongside 2026 top prospect Gavin McKenna and 2024 projected top-10 pick Cayden Lindstrom, Basha was a complementary piece on a deep Tigers team. But when Lindstrom went out midway in the season, Basha stepped up and proved he’s more than a helpful tool for his more hyped linemates.

Basha is good at carrying the puck up the ice. He's quick and energetic, Basha is a consistent playmaker who does well finding his teammates in tight. Basha can have a bit of a difficulty in not being able to push the puck forward, leading to some poor choices in trying to clear out the puck.

At times, Basha can get caught doing one too many moves, being a little too crafty with the puck on his stick. He often defers to the boards and gets himself trapped when he can't press forward.

More often do you see the positives come from Basha’s playing than the negatives. He’s not a pure shooter but Basha is good at getting some strong shooting looks thanks to his mobility and vision. His creativity extends to being able to burst through opponents, but can also net from deep.

Could become a strong goalscorer if he’s able to burst in and shoot consistently. When you have Cayden Lindstrom as a linemate, your first priority may not always be to score, but it’s something that Basha showcased himself as capable of when Lindstrom was out.

He's not overly physical so Basha can be taken off the puck by a stronger opponent, and he doesn't have the strength to challenge for possession. Pokechecking is decent but he needs to add some muscle to his game. If Basha was the same height as his teammate Cayden Lindstrom, I'd probably have Basha ahead of him.

The overskating and puck control isn't perfect and is a question, but those are the same areas he’s shown as strengths. High quality skating and puck movement make him a highly alluring game. Some questions have been leveled if Basha got to benefit from his teammates, which is fair, but they also benefited from him.

Basha’s a clear first round pick, and proved he can lead a line when he didn’t have superstar level teammates. He’s a top prospect in his own right.

Toronto Maple Leafs Likeliness

Although the Toronto Maple Leafs needs are more on the defensive end, you have to take the best player available most of the time if possible, and there's a strong chance of that being Basha at 23rd Overall.

I think they could be fans of his well-rounded and highly mobile game. He's creative and consistently able to create for himself and others. Toronto has targeted similar players in recent years both in the draft and in free agency.

He's not as versatile in positioning as Toronto has tended to like, but versatile more in his approach, which is still an asset the team has looked for, being able to do a bit of everything.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have already connected with Basha at the NHL Draft Combine, signaling he already seems to be on Toronto's radar. Basha will be taken round one, it's a matter in itself if Toronto goes for him.

QUOTES/FILM

"On a young Medicine Hat Tigers squad featuring potential top-10 pick Cayden Lindstrom and Gavin McKenna, who could be the first overall pick in 2026, Basha stood out for his creativity and ability to create plays out of thin air. Although he may not have the same high-end potential as his teammates, he’s developed into one of the best playmakers in the 2024 Draft." - Dayton Reimer/The Hockey Writers

"Basha brings more than just offence, however. He can be used in a variety of roles." - Jason Bukala/Sportsnet

"Outside of his skating, Basha’s best attribute is his playmaking. No matter how fast he’s chugging along, Basha’s head is always up, maintaining his keen awareness for where his teammates are to make deceptive and timely slot passes." Luke Sweeney/Dobber Prospects