Where Is Malgin's 2024 Toronto Maple Leafs Draft Recap
Who are you, and what are you doing on my reserve list?
When I was growing up as a fan of the putrid 2014, 2015, and 2016 Toronto Maple Leafs, the draft was a big deal. At 9 years old, I fawned over the tape of a young Swede on my TV. At 10, I was already aware of an electric forward from London and was ecstatic when they took him. By the time I was 11, I was already questioning moves, wondering why they didn’t pick the short guy from Erie in the 2nd round.
Now that the Leafs are contending (or at least trying to), though… I understand that people don’t care. The NHL Draft operates on a spectrum of usefulness for certain Cup winners after they land their initial core. The Lightning landed Point, Cirelli, and Colton in back-to-back-to-back years. The Avalanche got meaningful minutes from the likes of Byram and Newhook, but more interestingly, were able to parlay selections such as Conor Timmins, Justin Barron, and even Tyson Jost into Darcy Kuemper, Artturi Lehkonen, and Nico Sturm. Take a look at this year’s champions in Sunrise, though, and you’ll conclude that the draft — after you land your core — is almost irrelevant, as the only selection drafted after Aaron Ekblad (2014, 10 years ago) to make an impact on the Cup Champs was Anton Lundell. Still, even Bill Zito will tell you that he’s been using Florida’s draftees to land additions such as Claude Giroux (Owen Tippett) and Sam Bennett (Emil Heineman). Most importantly, though, is that Zito landed 57-goal scorer Sam Reinhart off the back of Devon Levi, whose performances — despite being a 7th-rounder — made him a blue chip prospect to add in the Reinhart deal.
That’s why we’re here. The draft still matters for good hockey teams. Also, I’m a nerd with not much else to do. This year, the Toronto Maple Leafs picked 8 players, their most since 2020, also picking as many players as they did over the last two years combined. I put in a lot of effort to scout this year’s draft for Recruit Scouting, viewing or at least reading about 200+ players. I’m not gonna lie, Wes Clark and Co. outdid me. Let’s get into this.
#31 - Ben Danford: B
Height/Weight: 6’1/190 lbs
Position: RHD
Birthplace: Madoc, Ontario, Canada
23/24 Statistics:
1 G, 33 A, 34 P in 64 GP for the Oshawa Generals (OHL) + 4 G, 6 A, 10 P in 24 playoff games
0 G, 0 A, 0 P in 5 GP for Team Canada (Hlinka Gretzky)
My Ranking: #76
I’m not an insider, but anyone who was paying attention to the draft would say that the Leafs experienced a bit of a whoopsie on the draft floor. The Leafs held the #23 pick, in position to select many top-20 talents who had been usurped by surprise selections. In an ordinary draft, trading down from this slot would not be a big deal, but reaches for Luchanko, Jiricek, Boisvert, and Parascak meant that there was room to get a potential steal in this position.
Nonetheless, the Leafs remained locked in on their guy, and they felt that trading down allowed them the flexibility to get their guy while adding an extra asset. In this case, an extra 2nd rounder was pretty good value. Their guy, of course, was…
EJ Emery. #30 to the New York Rangers.
As the next ones up, the Leafs had two options. Most would take the BPA. The Leafs, however, decided that if they weren’t getting Emery, they would get the closest thing to Emery. Enter Ben Danford.
A local kid with the #passion, Ben Danford didn’t really excite me, but I was thoroughly impressed by his season.
At the age of 17, Ben Danford became the #1 defenseman on the eventual OHL Championship Finalists in Oshawa. He took the most minutes, the toughest matchups, and did it all on his off-side.
Danford checks many boxes. He’s:
Strong
Mobile
Extremely intelligent
Projectable frame at 6’1
Very mature game at a young age
So, why was he my 76th overall prospect this year and not in first-round consideration?
In today’s NHL, you simply cannot be a liability with the puck on your stick. The puck will get to you. A menacing forechecker will pressure you. You will have to make the right decisions, with the right mechanics, in a split-second with 10,000+ people watching you in person (and hundreds of thousands at home). Even guys who are solid with the puck on their stick in Jr. end up projecting as Martin Marincin (not slander, just a testament to the type of defense-first defenseman he had to be).
Ben Danford, as it stands right now, is not good enough with the puck on his stick. He thinks the game so well defensively, but this simply does not carry over to his playmaking decisions offensively. Mechanically, he struggles to keep control of the puck and his breakout passes aren’t as consistent as I know they can be (even though they have improved a lot!).
I projected him to be a #4 defenseman as his ceiling before the draft. That’s not a pro-Leafs bias. If you get a #4 defenseman, it means that Danford has elevated his on-puck play to the NHL level. He’s one of the premier shutdown defenders in his class, so this would be a big deal, and amazing value at 31st overall.
And still… I don’t love how this all went down.
In the interest of fairness and transparency, here’s what I would’ve done (as someone who is NOT an expert and NOT paid to do this):
I wouldn’t have traded the pick in the first place, and of the players picked between 23rd and 31st, I would’ve gone with:
Stian Solberg - An old-school defenseman likened to Niklas Kronwall who was Norway’s #1 defenseman at the World Championships (yes, the one for grown men). Does what Danford does but has shown it at a higher level.
Liam Greentree - A dominant power-playmaker at the OHL level who could blossom into a top-line scorer with skating refinement.
EJ Emery - Yeah, just don’t roll the dice and go with Emery. A freak athlete. He’s Ben Danford but more athletic.
At #31, I would’ve gone with
Andrew Basha - A high-energy playmaker out of the WHL with the potential to become a 70-point scorer at the NHL level.
Nikita Artamonov - A dynamic, high-motor, high-skill forward with great success for his age at the KHL level but with wonky skating and defensive concerns.
Alfons Freij - An ultra-smooth Swedish defender with elite mobility and puck-moving skills who could become a top-4 defenseman.
Not that any of these guys are confirmed to succeed, nor am I sure they’ll all be better than Danford. I just don’t think it is fair for me to criticize this pick without showing what I would’ve done (in order of most likely to least likely) so we can look back later on.
I am also decently sure that the #58 pick that the Leafs deferred to Florida for their 2nd rounder next year was only moved because Lukas Fischer, Teddy Stiga, and Jesse Pulkkinen were picked earlier. Sounds like the Leafs just got burnt, not the end of the world. Not that it matters, but I would’ve gone with:
Henry Mews - An offensive defenseman who's a step behind top OHL defensemen Sam Dickinson and Zayne Parekh, but not far off in skill. He often makes you feel like he can be better, and if he gets it together, he could be a top-4 defenseman.
Noel Fransen - An elite skater who some pegged as the top Swedish defender in this draft class. Fransen carries top-4 upside.
Linus Eriksson - Yeah, maybe I would’ve made the same pick as Florida did with this pick. He’s an intelligent, well-rounded centre with a 2C/3C upside.
#120 - Victor Johansson: D+
Height/Weight: 6’1/159 lbs
Position: LHD
Birthplace: Linköping, Sweden
23/24 Statistics:
2 G, 6 A, 8 P in 34 GP for Leksands IF J20 (J20 Nationnell) + 0 G, 1 A, 1 P in 5 playoff games
0 G, 1 A, 1 P in 3 GP for Leksands IF J18 (J18 Nationnell) + 0 G, 1 A, 1 P in 4 playoff games
0 G, 1 A, 1 P in 5 GP for Leksands IF J18 (J18 Region)
My Ranking: Not considered
It is at this point where I throw my hands up and accept defeat. I had many defensemen on my radar above Victor Johansson to be drafted from the same league: Eric Burger (Undrafted), Darels Uljanskis (217), Edvin Nilsson (Undrafted), and Jack Bodin (Undrafted).
Let me preface by saying I would never slander a Swedish pick green-lit by the legendary Thommie Bergman. Since his hiring in 2005, the Toronto Maple Leafs have sniped full-time NHLers in late rounds such as Anton Stralman (Round 7, 2005), Viktor Stalberg (Round 6, 2006), Leo Komarov (Round 6, 2006), Carl Gunnarsson (Round 7, 2007), Andreas Johnsson (Round 7, 2013), Pierre Engvall (Round 7, 2014), and Pontus Holmberg (Round 6, 2018).
So, I’ll plead my case, but… take it with a cup (not a pinch) of salt.
A major philosophy that Bergman follows that the Leafs have come to embrace in their scouting philosophy is that drafting raw players means there is much room to grow and round out their game. Enter Victor Johansson.
Johansson is the son of SHL GM and former Elitserien (SHL) standout Thomas, and the younger brother of Wild prospect Simon and Wings prospect Anton.
"What we like most about Victor is that he's very early in his development curve. Strong intelligence, strong competitiveness, and excellent defensive instincts. Think there's a lot of room to grow there, and he's got a couple older brothers too, that have shown well over the years as well." - Wes Clark (via Kyle Cushman)
All three are/were talented offensive defensemen who grew into their lengthy frames and either had or are on pace for lengthy professional careers.
Still, we have to work with what we have seen.
In Victor Johansson, I… almost see it. Almost.
Johansson, to me, comes off as a prototypical Swedish defenseman, but in a very, very raw form. He’s an ultra-smooth player — something I have come to expect out of players from this region, but a trait that impresses me every time. He’s very mobile, his hands are very fluid, and he has good stickwork.
In fact, one thing that will excite certain Leafs fans will be the flashes of physicality that Johansson shows. I don’t think he’s Kronwall, but he doesn’t seem afraid of switching from his stick to using his body to stop forwards in their tracks.
There is a lot to like about Victor Johansson. So, where does he lose me?
Johansson’s weakness is his lack of strength. No, literally, his weakness on the ice is his lack of physical strength. It is evident everywhere in his game. Johansson is pushed around easily. His stride, while quick and smooth, lacks power. It is not uncommon for his passes to be a touch too weak. His shot is, to be blunt, a non-factor. It’s a blunt statement, and not a harsh statement, as Johansson has 4 goals in a combined 86 games across the Swedish J18 and J20 levels.
That is why it will come as a complete shock to most that I would still describe Johansson as a two-way defenseman. Yes, despite finishing tied for 17th among U18 defensemen in the Swedish U20 flight in points, Johansson’s offensive flair is worthy of being mentioned.
This is precisely why Victor Johansson confuses me. Whether it’s the system he’s in or the style he’s choosing to play, he is just rarely involved in Leksands’ puck movement. His passing is slick, but not heavy enough. I also already said his shot is a work in progress. Still, he utilizes his speed and ability to identify holes in the opposition to create dangerous rush plays.
He is fairly poised and skilled on the puck whenever I see him take control. I understand that he may not be capable of muscling through the opposition. However, I am quite shocked that he doesn’t have more production at this level, significantly less than his brothers at the same age. He is very passive offensively, despite potentially having the skills to be a top-level offensive defenseman.
Perhaps it is due to his focus on defensive positioning, which is respectable… but not a money-maker at this level. He is clearly very smart and skilled defensively. Still, he does get beat by stronger players, and I’m finding him caught either flat-footed or flat-out dormant at times.
The J20 Nationell isn’t the most high-scoring league for defenders. Yet, the fact that Victor Johansson has one of the lowest scoring rates among all defensemen drafted out of the Swedish U20 league is a bit alarming. To do so with many more certain picks on the board (dare I call the undrafted Eric Burger a more proven version of Johansson) says a lot about how they feel about the upside. I’m not convinced that Johansson is SHL material yet. He will have to do well in the J20 Nationell next season, playing more aggressively on the offensive end with Leksands IF.
This is definitely a pick that the regional scouts Christoffer Hedlund and the aforementioned Bergman would have to pound the table to grab, but it speaks to the Leafs brass’ faith in these two that they made this pick.
Not that I’m an endorser of nepotism or whatever, but… it is quite nice that the GM of Leksands IF has a vested interest in Johansson’s success with the program. That’s right, the SHL team that Victor Johansson’s dad manages is the team he will likely graduate to, hopefully meaning that he will have all the time and support in the world to mature his game to the professional level.
So, yeah… come back to this in seven years when Victor Johansson develops into an NHL defenseman, but I’m not sold. The Leafs love that he’s still early in his development, but I do not think it is feasible to bring an offensive defenseman who cannot produce in the Swedish U18 league to the NHL level. To me, his ceiling is closer to Andreas Borgman and Mattias Norlinder. The sky is the limit, I just don’t know how much development is possible.
Again, for transparency's sake, here’s who I would’ve picked:
Luke Misa - Misa is a lightning-fast skater with high-level playmaking who lost gas at the end of his year in Mississauga (OHL), likely contributing to his fall from my ranking of #32. He could be a fan-favourite 3rd liner at the NHL level.
Simon Zether - A well-rounded forward who impressed me in a depth role as an 18-year-old in the SHL. Zether showed surefire signs of an NHL bottom-6 forward and shot to #47 on my draft board.
Aron Kiviharju - The once highly-touted prospect fell harshly this year due to injury, among other concerns. He’s an uber-skilled, yet undersized defenseman who stuck as my #29 ranked skater, but I do see why the 5’9 defenseman could pan out more like Erik Brannstrom than Jared Spurgeon. I would still take Brannstrom at this stage of the draft, though.
#151 - Miroslav Holinka: B
Height/Weight: 6’1/185 lbs
Position: C/W
Birthplace: Kromeriz, Czechia
23/24 Statistics:
1 G, 2 A, 3 P in 16 GP for HC Oceláři Třinec (Czech Extraliga)
20 G, 21 A, 41 P in 29 GP for HC Oceláři Třinec U20 (Czech U20) + 6 G, 8 A, 14 P in 15 playoff games
My Ranking: 5th-7th Round
With their first pick out of Czechia since Jiri Tlusty in 2006, the Toronto Maple Leafs nabbed Miroslav Holinka of HC Oceláři Třinec.
Holinka impressed me in limited viewings this season. As far as statistics go, he led all DY Czechia U20 league skaters in points per game en route to helping his team win the league. He also split the season in the Czech Extraliga, a league that generally is not kind to its younger players in terms of offensive production. As a result, his 3 points in 16 games may seem a little underwhelming, but he actually tied to lead all DY Czech forwards in points.
Holinka isn’t the next Czech superstar in the mould of Pastrnak and Hertl. Rather, I believe he has the potential to join a growing number of Czech NHLers in a sturdy supporting cast role. Also, he’s kind of #nasty.
Brother, ewww. Gross.
Holinka has great hands, a sharp shot, great passing ability, and a penchant for the highlight reel. He was a hound in his games in the Czech Extraliga, and despite not being able to star in higher competition, he showed good offensive instincts and held his own in 16 games.
He doesn’t come without flaws, though. Holinka’s skating stride is quite wonky, with a stiff, upright stance that seemingly miraculously still allows him to cover a lot of ground in quick speed. Also, all those highlight reel moves I was talking about? Well, it turns out you can’t just run at defenders and deke through them at the professional level… even if it looks sick in junior. I would also like to see him add some strength, as I admire his willingness to get physical, but still think he’s too light to take the big step in the pros.
I could see why Holinka’s offense will fall off significantly at the professional level. I think he will need to prove that he has more of a projectable hockey sense while also improving his skating so that he can play the forechecking role he seems to have the aptitude for in the Czech Extraliga. I’m quite curious as to what his NHL projection can be, as I’m all over the place on Holinka. Is he an offensive dynamo? Is he a potential bottom-6 energy forward? Will he even break out in Czechia? The truth is, while his hands are sick, I don’t know what Holinka’s most projectable trait is. He is pretty sick, though, so I will definitely be keeping an eye on him.
This is a fine pick, around where I was expecting him to go. Here’s who I would’ve selected, though:
Justin Poirier - I wouldn’t be able to resist the undersized sniper out of the QMJHL, sorry. Most U18 Goals in a QMJHL Season since Sidney Crosby and most U18 QMJHL Playoff Goals in the 2000s (including Crosby and MacKinnon). "I can teach a player to check, I can't teach him to score goals." - Al Arbour. Not that Poirier will be anywhere as good as Mike Bossy.
Anthony Romani - Here’s a list of U19 OHLers with 55+ goal seasons since the 04-05 lockout: John Tavares (x2), Patrick Kane, Steven Stamkos, Tyler Toffoli, Nick Robertson, Anthony Romani. End of list. Now, Romani is not anywhere near as good as Tavares, Kane, or Stamkos, who accomplished this feat at a younger age… but both Toffoli and Robertson did that in their D+1 as well, and they’re still scoring in the NHL. Romani projects as a bottom-6 forward, but I’m a fan.
Tomas Galvas - I just cannot believe that Galvas, who just put up the most points among U18 defenders in Czech Extraliga HISTORY (above the guy who went 16th), went undrafted. The undersized defenseman is one of the smoothest, shiftiest defensemen I’ve ever seen, but projectability issues come with his size (or lack thereof.
#152 - Alexander Plesovskikh: D-
Height/Weight: 6’2/174 lbs
Position: LW
Birthplace: Tyumen, RUS
23/24 Statistics:
8 G, 9 A, 17 P in 33 GP for Mamonty Yugry (MHL) + 0 G, 1 A, 1 P in 6 playoff games
0 G, 0 A, 0 P in 2 GP for Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (VHL)
6 G, 0 A, 6 P in 8 GP for Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk U18 (Russia U18)
My Ranking: Not considered
One thing I was explaining to someone recently about public scouting is this: Sometimes you approach players you don’t see the value in. Still, it is your job to be as diplomatic as possible. In other words, no one wants to see you rip into teenagers. It’s sad to watch. A younger version of myself would have been very mean about this pick. Instead, I’ll explain myself first.
I do not see the value in selecting depth players in junior who will continue to play like depth players. From what I have seen, to succeed in the NHL as a depth player, you must first prove that you have the offensive ability to keep up in the top ranks, and then you will be taught how to play a role. As an OHL-centric scout, I appreciated guys like Sam O’Reilly and Will Nicholl only because I feel that they will take on higher roles on a London team that was stacked this year. To Alexander Plesovskikh’s credit, his Mamonty Yugry of the MHL were very good this year. Yet, none of the guys who played ahead of him were in consideration to be drafted into the NHL. Furthermore, as a general view of the quality of MHL development, I get a little spooked when an MHL team has more alumni in the UAE (4) than they do in North America (Columbus’ Kirill Marchenko, and Dmitri Yushkevich, son of the Leafs legend of the same name, who played in the SPHL last season).
Enough about philosophy, though. No one really cares about that. Who the hell is Alexander Plesovskikh?
Plesovskikh is, honestly, not someone I had on my radar. Among all MHL forwards with over 10 games played selected in this year’s draft, Plesovskikh had the lowest points per game, despite being picked above many of those guys.
Okay, fine, no more stats. Here’s what I actually saw.
Alexander Plesovskikh is ready to play on your fourth line. Mentally, at least. He has a remarkable work rate and is ready to fight in the dirty areas for his team’s success. Due to Russia’s international ban, Plesovskikh’s international experience was limited mostly to intra-squad games (i.e. U20 vs U18) and friendlies against Belarus. Still, Plesovskikh showed effectiveness as a checking forward. The 6’2 forward has projectable size, which, combined with his aforementioned work ethic, has put him into contention for a roster spot on the VHL’s Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk.
I’ll keep this part brief. His skating is quite poor. He can build speed in a north-to-south style but lacks many of the fundamentals of projectable skating. His shot is fine, but hardly utilized in dangerous positions. His decision-making under pressure is extremely questionable. His hockey IQ, while evident with time and space as a playmaker, is shaky when he has to make a play under pressure or create a play by himself.
Alexander Plesovskikh is a connector. He is a plug-and-play player who can fit the same on any line, fighting for pucks and getting them to the first man he sees. At his best, he’s a simple, north-south, one-touch specialist with good hand-eye. At his worst, he’s another depth player… which at the MHL level, does not usually warrant NHL consideration. He’s very young with an August birthday, but his skills are simply not at a level where I can see him even developing into a KHL role. I’ve seen the Nikita Grebyonkin comparisons, and… sure. I kind of see it. However, Grebyonkin was significantly better at the same age (despite being drafted as an overager). Once again, I do not work in hockey, but I have seen the extent of development possible in most draftees. I think the Leafs will have to push that limit to get an NHLer. He’s closer to Semyon Kizimov than to Nikita Grebyonkin.
Here’s a goal that I think gives you a nice summary. You can see he’s slow and he pulls off one of his favourite moves (a low-percentage shot into traffic), and yet he wills himself through and scores the goal (a nice one, too!). That’s what you’re getting with Plesovskikh, in my opinion.
This pick was right after the Holinka pick, so technically I could just slap one of the three guys listed above (it would be Anthony Romani). Just for fun, here are three other guys I would’ve picked here.
Max Curran - A big, skilled, but inconsistent playmaker out of the WHL with 3C potential.
Fyodor Avramov - A big, strong sniper out of the MHL.
Kieron Walton - A huge playmaker out of the OHL with consistency issues but the opportunity to step up in Sudbury next year.
#157 - Timofei Obvintsev: B
Height/Weight: 6’4/179 lbs
Position: G
Birthplace: Yekaterinburg, RUS
23/24 Statistics:
7-7, .921 SV% in 16 GP for Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL) + 0-2, .908 SV% in 2 playoff games
My Ranking: Not considered
The Leafs did what any successful team does — draft a random goalie out of Russia.
Fine, Timofei Obvintsev isn’t random. Among all MHL goalies with 10+ games played who were drafted, Obvintsev had the lowest SV%. It’s hard to fault him for this, though. Obvintsev did the best out of the Krasnaya Armiya Moskva 3-goalie rotation, as the team struggled to shut the door defensively this year.
I’m not a goalie guy, but watching Obvintsev, here’s what I can tell. He is a very athletic goalie who did not get into many games last season, so despite being an overager, he has as much experience as most 18-year-old goalies.
I see a lot of Ilya Samsonov in his game. It is important to note that this is still a lofty comparison for Obvintsev. Both goalies had similar statistics before being drafted, but Samsonov was a whole year younger and starred in the KHL by the time he was 19. Still, both have size and athleticism, playing a very raw and unstructured style of goaltending.
There is a lot to build on with Obvintsev, who was not ranked by any major outlets. Despite his omission from NHL Central Scouting, it sounds like a handful of teams showed interest in him due to his upside. Perhaps his representation by Dan Milstein, known for representing Russian players with interest in North America, makes the likelihood of Obvintsev developing in North America more possible.
To be honest, this is just the Vyachelsav Peksa pick again, to a tee. An overager goalie with minimal experience and coverage is picked out of nowhere due to his athleticism and frame. It’s not a horrible philosophy, and Peksa is way too young for a final judgment. As a result, I struggle to really dislike this pick.
“Wes Clark noted Leafs director of goaltending development and scouting Curtis McElhinney and goaltending scout Viktor Alm both liked Timofei Obvintsev a lot, as you would expect.” - Kyle Cushman
Ewwwwwwwww.
I would’ve gone with one of the guys I mentioned above (Romani, Poirier, Galvas), but I appreciate the creativity and knowledge needed to make this pick.
Just for fun, three more guys I would’ve selected over Obvintsev (despite most of the previous names being in range):
Timur Kol - A big, imposing defenseman who impressed at the VHL level.
Tory Pitner - A physical defenseman out of the USHL who got top-100 shouts this year.
William Nicholl - I’m allowed to have my favourites, right? A depth option for London with flashes of potential to become a top OHL player and later a solid bottom-6 NHLer.
#200 - Matt Lahey: C+
Height/Weight: 6’5/203 lbs
Position: LHD
Birthplace: Victoria, BC, Canada
23/24 Statistics:
2 G, 17 A, 19 P in 54 GP for the Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL) + 0 G, 0 A, 0 P in 5 playoff games
My Ranking: Not considered
Matt Lahey is big and smart. Those are two traits everyone likes in shutdown defensemen. Big enough to stop plays and smart enough to know how.
From there, I’m not moved. He has improving, yet inconsistent puck skills, a hard shot that should be utilized more effectively, and inconsistent playmaking ability. To circle back to what I said about Ben Danford: You cannot be a liability with the puck on your stick at the NHL level, and if you are not poised with the puck in Junior, you will be hounded in the pros.
Not that there isn’t a lot to like about Lahey defensively. He knows how to use his reach, when to use his body, and how to defend the rush. Lahey is very safe, opting to be proactive, but not aggressive. Still 17 at the time of writing, he’s very mature defensively for his age.
His skating needs work, but so do most players at his size and frame (6’5, 203 lbs is a very projectable frame). It does not limit him at the BCHL level, however, it is not projectable to the top level.
Matt Lahey is a fine selection with bottom-pairing upside if he can gain confidence with the puck at a Clarkson University program that notably has no alumni defensemen who are active in the NHL/AHL. Perhaps new coach Jean-François Houle can help Lahey buck this trend.
Overall, he’s an unexciting, yet safe pick who will eat up minutes at the professional level. At best, he will plug in as a #6 defenseman at the NHL level.
Okay, fine, I know what some of you sickos want to see.
Here’s who I would’ve selected:
Eric Burger - A super-smooth Swedish defender with the tools to impress at the NHL level.
Christian Humphreys - An offensive talent out of the USA NTDP who received top-50 looks. He struggled to find the next gear last season but has top-9 potential.
Jakub Fibigr - A smooth-skating Czech defenseman whose performances in Mississauga this season earned him top-100 looks. #4/#5 defenseman upside.
#216 - Sam McCue: D
Height/Weight: 6’2/187 lbs
Position: LW
Birthplace: Sudbury, ON, Canada
23/24 Statistics:
11 G, 5 A, 16 P in 34 GP for the Peterborough Petes (OHL)
12 G, 9 A, 21 P in 34 GP for the Owen Sound Attack (OHL) + 0 G, 1 A, 1 P in 4 playoff games
My Ranking: Not considered
I had the pleasure of ranking 56 draft-eligible OHL skaters for Recruit Scouting. McCue was #41, 11 players above him went undrafted. Here’s what I wrote about him:
“Sam McCue is a tenacious winger with a solid scoring touch who isn’t afraid of getting dirty. A trade to Owen Sound saw him increase his production, and he has proven to be a solid net-front presence in the OHL. Unfortunately, he currently lacks the speed and overall skating ability necessary to succeed in a bottom-6 role in today’s NHL and must take significant strides to follow in the footsteps of his brother Max in becoming an NHL prospect.
Ceiling: NHL 4th Line Winger
Projection: AHL Bottom-6
Floor: USports -> ECHL Top-6
No anti-Leafs bias, no anti-Treliving bias, I just did not feel that he would be selected.
Sam McCue is a very respectable player. I love the energy and drive he brings to the game, and his penchant for the dirty areas is something that NHL teams love.
I love the idea that you can will your way into the NHL, but I do not agree. McCue lacks the puck skills and overall offensive ability to score at the NHL level. His skating is also poor and will require significant work for him to become projectable at even the AHL level.
McCue has a nose for the net and an innate scoring touch, which will serve him very well in his professional career. Also, I feel as if I’m not doing justice as to how hard this guy works. This is a guy who sets the example for the rest of the team, taking and dealing punishment, grinding for every puck, and doing what it takes to win games.
Yet, I do not see him becoming more than a bottom-6 AHLer, which is actually a good outcome considering where this pick is. I am just not a fan of drafting guys with limited upside, but this is someone who earns this level of a pick just by what he will bring to development camps.
Below is vintage Sam McCue. Down 7-0, McCue is still battling in the third period. The result? Two goals. Not through skill or flair, but by battling and mental fortitude. I respect a player like this a lot, I just find it hard to project him.
His shot is better than this (obviously), but I wanted to highlight his work rate instead.
Here’s who I would’ve picked:
Topias Hynninen - I cannot believe Hynninen went undrafted. He was in my 2nd round and is similar to McCue in terms of his bottom-6 workhorse projection, but has proven it at the professional level with better details and skills.
Alexander Zetterberg - A very undersized offensive machine who was in my 3rd round. I’m not in complete shock that he went undrafted, but once again, I would still bet on the upside that comes with this pick.
Ryerson Leenders - An athletic goalie with consistency concerns but with the potential to be a top Canadian goalie.
#225 - Nathan Mayes: C
Height/Weight: 6’4/194 lbs
Position: LHD
Birthplace: Salmon Arm, BC, Canada
23/24 Statistics:
1 G, 15 A, 16 P in 68 GP for the Spokane Chiefs (WHL) + 0 G, 0 A, 0 P in 4 playoff games
My Ranking: Not considered
It’s kind of a jerk move to scrutinize the guy who will be labelled “Mr. Irrelevant” in this draft, but many I spoke to who follow the WHL closely were quite surprised that Nathan Mayes was one of the 225 players selected in this year’s draft.
With the last pick, though… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, why not?
After watching Mayes play, it is extremely clear that a Leafs scout caught him on a good day. Honestly, though? At this stage in the draft, all it takes is one good game to show folks that you have something in you. I think Nathan Mayes has something in him… it’s just really deep.
Watching Mayes, I saw a very physical defenseman who knows how to use his 6’4 frame. He’s big, he’s strong, and he’s heavy, sending opponents flying when he lines them up.
Offensively… meh. He lacks a shot that should come with being a strong defenseman, has minimal puck skills under pressure, and his playmaking skills are inconsistent.
His skating is below average, but he is still effective enough when defending against the rush. I would like to see him utilize his stick more, as lining up guys as a more physically developed player than other players his age is not sustainable, although will be a useful tool in the pros. Sometimes when I watch Mayes, I see a smart shutdown defenseman with NHL bottom-pair upside. In other games, I see… nothing.
Mayes is young, having just turned 18 in June, and this WHL year was his rookie season. There is a lot of room for him to develop his skills on the puck, find consistency in his decision-making, develop his skating, etc.
Here’s a highlight reel from the WHL’s official Twitter account (can’t embed in Substack for Elon reasons, I think). Skip to 0:33 for the good stuff:
At this point in this recap, it is very clear that the Toronto Maple Leafs and I currently disagree on what type of player we would prioritize developing. To develop Mayes into a bottom-pair defenseman, would require years of developing Mayes around his high-level physicality. There were players available — whose rights would be retained for longer — who I felt had larger upsides for the same lengthy development curves.
It would be cool to see Mayes harness his flashes of NHL projectability and become a top WHL defenseman before making the step into the pros. I currently find that unlikely, though, and think the Leafs will be lucky if he develops into a full-time AHL defenseman (still, a very good outcome for a player picked here).
Here’s who I would’ve picked.
Daniil Ustinkov - I would have pinched myself if I were up at pick #225 (a pick that only exists due to a compensatory pick given to the Flyers for letting Jay O’Brien walk) and I saw Daniil Ustinkov on the board. Ustinkov is a smart, strong, poised defenseman who did not look out of place among men in the Swiss league and crept very close to my 1st round.
Anthony Cristoforo - Cristoforo was my highest-ranked OHLer (#20) to go undrafted this year. I was a little shocked, but Windsor’s season from hell visibly weighed on the young defenseman. He’s a raw offensive defenseman who took a huge, unenviable role on Windsor. He must take the next step offensively and come into his own defensively, but there is significant upside.
Tomas Galvas (AGAIN) - Yeah, sorry, I’m putting him in again. Galvas going undrafted is legitimately shocking to me and I would use this pick as a swing on Galvas and retain his rights for four years.
The Leafs Draft vs My Draft
The Leafs make a fool out of me a lot, so… I’ll make it easier by putting our choices side by side.
These ceilings, projections, and floors are simply to give you an idea of my idea of these players, they are NOT objective nor are they even realistic. I gave two undrafted players an NHL projection. That is ridiculous, but it is genuinely how I view these players and should clear up why some of these grades are so harsh.
Overall, I’m not super happy with this draft class. However, I am willing to give the Leafs’ scouting team a lot of credit for 1. Being smarter than I am and 2. Watching much more of these players than I could dream of. As I mentioned before, my philosophy behind drafting players is different than what we saw this year. In all fairness, the closest a Leafs draft has gotten to my philosophy was that of 2020, which (in part due to very unfortunate circumstances), has not produced any NHLers thus far. So… take all of that with a grain of salt. I did, however, want to give the public a background on the relatively obscure players selected by the team. Thank you for reading.
I appreciate you being here. No seriously, I do. I don’t write for money anymore (yes, there was a time when I was paid to do this. No, it was not a lot.), I just do this for fun and to engage with people with the same weird obsession with prospects (and the Leafs) that I do. I don’t want money, but I would honestly appreciate your thoughts, whether it is about the article, or how I can improve as a writer/communicator.
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