Embed from Getty Images There are some pretty bitter people on Hockey Twitter today, what with the Leafs drafting so many draft over-agers, not to mention a trio of defensemen with questionable offensive upside. I’m not one of those bitter people though. The draft is such a crapshoot, and in reality, many of the players…
Embed from Getty Images Mark Hunter, who is the Director of Player Personnel for the Toronto Maple Leafs, spoke to the media today about the players that his team acquired in rounds 2 through 7. We have the video of the scrum after the jump, along with a few of the answers that were player…
Photo Credit: Christian Bonin/TSGPhoto.com Less than an hour ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Scott Harrington and a conditional fifth round pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Kerby Rychel, who is a good 21-year-old hockey player that most teams are probably kicking themselves for not continuing to kick tires on. But let’s…
Photo Credit: Aaron Doster/USA TODAY SPORTS The Toronto Maple Leafs might be done at the draft, but that doesn’t mean they’re finished taking care of business in Buffalo. Shortly after the last selection was made, the blue and white finished off a deal which sent Scott Harrington and a conditional draft pick to the Columbus…
Photo Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY SPORTS The Toronto Maple Leafs completed rounds 2 through 7 of the 2016 NHL Entry draft today, selecting seven forwards, three defencemen, and a goaltender in a draft that has people scratching their heads just a little.
Like 2015, Toronto has again gone all over the globe to make their selections. With the first pick of the last round, they’ve selected forward Nikolai Chebykin of the MHL (Russian Junior Hockey League). If that league rings any bells, it’s the same one the Leafs took Latvian-born Martins Dzierkals from last summer.
Embed from Getty Images With the 179th pick, a pick at the end of the 6th round that they acquired in last year’s Olli Jokinen trade with St. Louis, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected London Knights defenseman Nicolas Mattinen. Here’s OHL guru Brock Otten on Mattinen:
Embed from Getty Images The theme of the day for Toronto has been scooping up prospects who are in their 2nd or even 3rd year of draft eligibility. “Overagers” relative to the draft, essentially. They’ve grabbed another prospect fitting this bill with Jack Walker of the WHL’s Victoria Royals.
With the 122nd overall pick, and the first of the fifth round, the Leafs selected Victoria Royals forward Vladimir Bobylev. Here’s HockeyProspect.com on Bobylev:
Embed from Getty Images The Leafs continue to spread out their selections, drafting defenceman Keaton Middleton with the 101st overall pick.
Embed from Getty Images Toronto has already taken one prospect in this draft who was passed over in years previous, and now they’ve done it again by taking Adam Brooks with the 92nd overall pick. Brooks played for the Regina Pats of the WHL this past season, scoring 120 points in 72 games.
Embed from Getty Images The Toronto Maple Leafs dipped into the US National Development Program for the third time in this draft, selecting defenceman J.D. Greenaway with their second third-round pick (72nd overall).
