Out Of The Combine; Five Players The Leafs Could Select In Vegas (maple leafs)

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Out Of The Combine; Five Players The Leafs Could Select In Vegas

By Mike Augello

Jun 8, 2024 • 1:12 pm

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have seven picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, but due to their pursuit of quick fixes over the last few years, they will not have selections in the second, third, and sixth rounds. The Leafs have their own first-round pick at #23 overall, their fourth round, three fifth-rounders (theirs, along with Nashville’s via Chicago in the Jake McCabe deal and Vancouver’s in the Sam Lafferty trade), and two sevenths (theirs and Ottawa’s from the Matt Murray).

The Leafs will hope to follow up the homerun pick of Easton Cowan late in the first round in Nashville 12 months ago at the Sphere in Vegas later this month, but with GM Brad Treliving being allowed on the draft floor this go around, Toronto’s drafting might reflect his penchant for players with size.

With all NHL clubs gathering in Buffalo for the annual Scouting Combine, it is an opportunity to take the pulse of some draft observers to see which players might make sense for the Leafs if they stay at #23:

EJ Emery - Defense USNTDP - Born in Surrey, BC, the 6’3…, 185 lb. blueliner’s dad played in the CFL. Emery is a big right-handed shooter with excellent defensive skills and physicality. He is committed to the University of North Dakota.

Yegor Surin - Forward (Lokomotiv - MHL) Considered a Russian buzzsaw by one draft expert, the 17-year-old forward’s comparables are Ivan Barbashev and former Leaf Leo Komarov. Surin has good size (6’1…, 195 lb) and boatloads of energy, but his 108 PIM’s in the MHL last season indicate a lack of discipline that he will have to grow out of.

Jesse Pulkkinen - Defense (JYP - Liiga) A poster child for the type of defenseman Treliving likes, Pulkkinen was draft-eligible in 2023, but only had four assists in 43 games. This season, the 6’6…, 216 lb. blueliner had 28 points in 18 games in the Finnish junior league, saw time in the second-level Mestis and top-tier Liiga, and was impressive for Finland at the 2024 World Junior.

Stian Solberg - Defense (Valerenega) A converted forward who played both up front and on the back end for a few seasons, the 6’2…, 201 lb. blueliner attracted attention at the WJC for his native Norway and will be playing for Farjestads in the SHL next season.

Adam Jecho - Right Wing (Edmonton - WHL) A 6’5… skilled winger, Jecho played for Czechia at the under-18’s and came to North America to play for the WHL’s Oil Kings, scoring 23 goals in 54 games.

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