Maple Leafs' 2020 Draft Failures Magnified as Rights to More Prospects Expire

Drafting in the NHL is far from an exact science. Most teams would consider it a resounding success if they can find just two future NHL players per draft year. For the Toronto Maple Leafs, however, draft day failures were an all-too-frequent reality under the previous management regime.

The 2020 NHL Draft serves as a stark example. Armed with 12 selections, the Leafs have yielded remarkably little from that class. Following the tragic passing of Rodion Amirov and the recent departures of Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemelä to Europe, the only remaining signed prospects are defenseman William Villeneuve and goaltender Artur Akhtyamov.

Today, that draft class is set to shrink further as the organization's rights to two more players will be terminated. After finishing their college careers without signing an NHL contract, the rights to both John Fusco and Wyatt Schingoethe will be forfeited by the Maple Leafs. They join Michael Koster, whose rights were forfeited earlier this year after he applied for early graduation.

All three players—standing at 6'0" or below—don't fit the prototype of the current Maple Leafs' front office. Their stylistic fit also isn't a match for Toronto's system, so their departure should come as no surprise. While the current management team often prioritizes players with high floors and lower ceilings, the previous regime attempted to hit a home run on skill with nearly every pick.

With so many misses from that era, the organization is now experiencing a significant shortfall of NHL-ready talent in its system. This will inevitably force the Leafs to turn to the college free agent market once it opens. Without landing players through that route, the team will have no choice but to spend future draft picks—assets they desperately need to rebuild their prospect pipeline.