With the next few weeks being slow in the hockey news department, we will be doing a series of columns on past deals, draft picks and signings that had a detrimental effect on the fortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs
The 2012 Draft was the last of the Brian Burke era, as the Leafs President and GM was fired just prior to the start of the lockout-shortened 2013 season. Toronto had six picks, which included defenseman Morgan Rielly (selected 5th overall) and sixth round pick Connor Brown.
Five years after the fact, Burke’s assertion that Rielly was the best available player (he was rated first on Toronto’s board) does not seem so outlandish, since only Alex Galchenyuk is the only one in the top five that can make a claim to rivaling Rielly’s success.
In the second round, the Leafs had an opportunity to add to their blueline with a pick at 35th overall selected Guelph Storm defenseman and Toronto native Matt Finn in the second.
Finn scored 47 points for the Storm in his draft year and was expected to go in the first round due to his solid all-around game and leadership abilities, but slipped into the second.
After injury and a bout of mononucleosis limited him to 41 games in 2013, Finn led the Storm to the Memorial Cup Final in 2014 as an overager. A lack of footspeed led to a difficult first professional season, as the blueliner split time between the AHL Toronto Marlies and ECHL Orlando Solar Bears.
Check out my appearance on the Steve Dangle podcast.
With the change from David Nonis to Lou Lamoriello as GM, the Leafs decided to do some house cleaning and on the opening day of training camp, the 21-year-old blueliner was dealt along with goalie Christopher Gibson, defenseman Tom Nilsson and forwards Taylor Beck and Carter Verhaeghe to the New York Islanders for Michael Grabner.
The cousin of former Leafs first rounder Carlo Colaiacovo has not played a game in the NHL to this point and has spent the majority of his time in the ECHL, playing only two games in the American Hockey League for Bridgeport last season.
Although drafting is an inexact science and hindsight is 20/20, it is intriguing to see the blueliners selected after Finn and ponder how it would have affected the current-day Leafs, with their need for a top-four blueliner.
Jake McCabe and Damon Severson were both taken later in the second round and are off to a fine start in their NHL careers with the Sabres and Devils.
In the third (78th overall), the Philadelphia Flyers selected a speedy Union College defenseman named Shayne Gostisbehere, who finished second to Artemi Panarin in voting for the Calder Trophy.
Eight picks later, the Blues selected big AJHL blueliner Colton Parayko and in the fourth round, Carolina picked Jaccob Slavin, who just recently signed a seven-year extension with the Hurricanes.
*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact” button at the top of the page.*******
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»