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

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.