Maple Leafs draft Nikolai Chebykin with 182nd overall pick

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.

Once again, the Leafs have gone to a second-year-eligible, which gives them a handful on the day. Clearly this was a plan heading into the draft, and they’ve been executing it throughout.