Toronto Maple Leafs 2015 NHL Draft Retrospective

I recently looked back at the Toronto Maple Leafs 2014 Draft class and have decided to make it a series. Today, I will be looking back at their 2015 NHL Draft Class.

This draft came just a couple short months after President Brendan Shanahan committed the Toronto Maple Leafs version of the game of thrones’ “red wedding," the “blue wedding” if you will. It was one of the first major moves in service of what was dubbed a “scorched-earth rebuild” approach. He fired more than 20 Leafs staffers including GM Dave Nonis, the entire coaching staff, and large amounts of the scouting staff. 

This left assistant GMs Mark Hunter and Kyle Dubas to take over the managerial roles in tandem. Together, the team of Dubas, Hunter, and Shanahan navigated the draft and free agency periods before hiring Lou Lamoriello to take on the permanent GM role.

The Leafs had also landed the top coaching free agent in Mike Babcock, making him the highest paid coach in NHL history in the process.

Heading into draft day the Leafs held two firsts (fourth and 24th overall) and did not have a pick until round three (65th overall). They also had their own picks in rounds four through seven at 95th, 125th, 155th, and 185th respectively. 

At the draft, the Leafs traded the 24th overall pick for the 29th and 61st pick. They then swapped the 29th pick for picks 34 and 68.

This left them with nine picks in total at: fourth, 34th, 61st, 68th, 95th, 125th, 155th, and 185th overall picks. 

Let's see how they did.