In ten days the Maple Leafs will be going into the lottery draft with a twenty percent chance of drafting the first overall pick and would likely be leaning towards selecting Auston Matthews if ping pong balls cooperate.
By now you should have a pretty good idea of which players will fall between first overall and fourth. Toronto will end up with one of these young studs, and I would fathom that anyone of the top three will have a very good shot at making the Leafs team next season. They are all big framed bodies and know how to play hockey, all having a high level of skill and each bring a different element to the table.
Tkachuk looks like he would be the fourth overall selection, which I would also be very happy with. He isn’t as big as the others, but is still a solid frame at 6’1 and weighs around 200 pounds. He has also played with Marner this season for the London Knights and tallied 107 points in 57 games. He and Marner have been electric in the playoffs; Tkachuk has 10 goals, 12 assists in 10 games. Just like Nylander, Tkachuk is the son of a former NHL player, and I feel there is something special about a player who grew up having their father as a role model and are now able to help them prepare as best as possible for the big show in the NHL.
The Leafs have set themselves up beautifully for this off season, between the number of picks and the high end first round pick, Hunter should have no problems selecting Toronto a handful of quality prospects to add to the system. Trading down was the big surprise to us fans last season, I wonder what plan of attack management has this season?
Trading up with Pittsburgh’s first round pick would be something I really hope they consider, whether it be a player, pick or both included to do so. With possible free agents added and prospects ripening, the cupboards are starting to fill up and adding quality over quantity may be the best route to go at this point in the rebuild.
Acquiring a quality goaltender through trade this off season or next year is without a doubt in the works. The expansion draft may play a huge part in Toronto acquiring a goaltender through trade. One of which that would never happen if the expansion draft were not to take place. If it pans out as expected and teams are only allowed to keep either: (seven forwards, three defensemen, and a goalie) or (eight skaters and a goalie). This could drastically change how teams prepare themselves for the future, and teams who have 1A 1B goaltending tandems may want to trade one of the two for a decent return, as opposed to not protecting one of them and losing for nothing when the expansion draft takes place.
This is certainly something Shanahan and the brass are pondering. It may also be a way to scoop up forwards and or defensemen who are on the bubble of being protected or not. All of that money invested in the management and scouting department is going to be put to good use. It couldn’t be a better time for the Maple Leafs and their fans as a quality management team is going to play a big part in the near future with rebuilding/retooling during this vital stage in the National Hockey League as it evolves yet again, hopefully for the best.
Prospects:
Marner:
The OHL Western Finals are about to begin and Mitch Marner leads the way for the London Knights. Ten games, ten goals, fifteen assists and a sweep over Kitchener, and off the Knights go. Toronto’s first round selection from last year (4th overall) has been nothing but dynamite all season, fans and management are nothing but thrilled with the way Mitch has continued to shine.
McKenzie sees Marner on the Leafs next season, “I see him in the Toronto Maple #Leafs lineup." Adds, "He's too good for junior hockey. He's just too good."…
Marner will either join the Leafs out of camp next season or finish up his final year in the OHL with the Knights. At this point, I am neutral, let Marner continue to dominate in these playoffs and see where he is at come September.
Timashov:
The steal of the 2015 draft. Timashov joined the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL half way through the season and only scored 4 goals in 28 games, but racked up 28 assists. His production slowed down quite a bit after being traded from the Quebec Remparts. It looks as if Timashov found his groove once the playoffs started, and picked his game up a level scoring seven goals in 11 games, and adding in 10 helpers. He’s in ‘beastmode’ right now, his skating and passing seem to improve each game he plays. If Timashov continues to develop at this pace, he may bloom into the best fifth round pick I can remember in Leafs history.
Dermott:
Travis Dermott was one of the players that Hunter had an eye on in the draft. Toronto selected the defenseman in the second round of the 2015 draft and he has continued to improve his overall game and racking up points hasn’t been an issue for the left hander. The Erie Otters will play against Marner and his London Knights, so far Dermott has scored 3 goals and added 10 assists in 9 playoff games. This kid is a natural winner. I’m not a huge believer in plus minus being a worthy statistic to talk about, but when you are a combined +94 in three seasons of OHL hockey, you are doing something right. It may be a couple seasons yet, but I see Dermott as a future Maple Leaf, and a solid defender at that.
Next week I will add a few more prospects.
Thanks for reading, enjoy the rest of your 420 hump day.