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The Toronto Maple Leafs did their due diligence for the upcoming NHL Draft in Las Vegas at the Scouting Combine in Buffalo this weekend, holding interviews with a number of players, but interestingly, they scheduled meetings with some others in Toronto later on Saturday and on Sunday, likely before the prospects flew out of Pearson back to Western Canada or to their homes in Europe.
Of the five players highlighted on Saturday, the Leafs spoke to three of them (defensemen EJ Emery, Jesse Pulkkinen, and Stian Solberg), had contact with another during the season (Adam Jecho), and the fifth (Yegor Surin) was not in Buffalo, as he is doing workouts for teams at a separate testing event in Florida later this month.
At #23, Toronto is well positioned to get any of these three big defensemen but might be willing to trade down and recoup an extra pick to give Wes Clark more rolls of the dice. The Leafs had only three picks at the draft in Nashville 12 months ago but appear to have made the most of their opportunities. Easton Cowan exceeded all expectations, scoring 96 points for the London Knights, winning the OHL regular season and playoff MVP, and getting the Knights to the Memorial Cup Final. Sixth-round pick Noah Chadwick nearly tripled his point total as an 18-year-old defenseman with WHL Lethbridge and signed his entry-level contract.
Toronto does not have their second, third, and sixth-round picks this year, and could get an extra pick by trading down a few slots, but if they have a chance to draft someone like Emery (who was a star in the testing at the combine), they may have to pass that up to get the best prospect possible.
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Ex-Leafs were a big factor in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday. Carter Verhaeghe, a Toronto draft pick in 2013 who Lou Lamoriello traded in the Michael Grabner deal in 2015, scored the game-winner for Florida in the 3-0 Panthers victory over Edmonton.
WHO ELSE BUT CARTER VERHAEGHE pic.twitter.com/0NSjBNZc1N
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 9, 2024
Also present on the play was the lack of quality on the Oilers defense, as both ex-Leafs Zach Hyman and Cody Ceci were caught out of position on the opening goal. Both were -2 on the night.
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