We won’t blame you if you turned off the NHL Draft in the seventh round – because the odds are you haven’t heard of anyone still on the board at that time.

But that’s when NHL teams are trying to maximize their value the best they can and find a hidden gem. Ryan Tverberg, for example, has managed to become a notable prospect in Toronto’s system despite going 213th overall in 2020. He hasn’t played an NHL game yet, but was one of the biggest surprises on the Toronto Marlies last year after finishing his second year of college hockey the year prior.

Could Sam McCue become the next notable seventh-rounder taken by the Leafs?

Drafted 216th out of 225, the left winger was Toronto’s second last pick of the draft, with the club taking Nathan Mayes with the final selection at No. 225.

On the surface, a 37-point sophomore OHL campaign was nothing to write home about. He split the year between Peterborough and Owen Sound, with his best hockey coming near the end of the season with the Attack. But what really stood out was just how much he improved his game in such a short span. After going in the seventh round of the 2021 OHL Draft – a year that saw him, and most others, sitting on the sidelines due to COVID-19 restrictions in Ontario –

McCue spent 2021-22 between the Peterborough Petes’ AAA squad and the NOJHL’s Blind River Beavers. He played fine, but was hardly a worldbeater. McCue then spent 2022-23 with the Petes’ OHL team, but had just one assist in 36 games between the regular season and playoffs while dealing with injuries. McCue did win the championship with the Petes that year, but only skated in three playoff games. The 2023-24 season, though, was about finding his groove and playing a more prominent role. McCue had 11 goals and 16 points in 34 games in a depth role with the Petes before getting shipped off to Owen Sound on Jan. 2.

The increase in production was nice, but that’s not why the Leafs drafted him. Far more productive players were passed over, such as Alexander Zetterberg, one of the more skilled wingers in the draft.

One thing that the move to Owen Sound helped facilitate was the advent of more ice time. He played a more prominent role and skated alongside more skilled forwards, which allowed him to focus on other areas of the game that he excels in more. He never stops moving and works as hard as anyone to try and snag the puck, even if his skating is a bit wonky right now. McCue can surely move, but he’s not the quickest and can be a bit awkward trying to control the puck on the rush. And without much in terms of hands, McCue isn’t going to blow you away with a smart deke on a 1-on-1 play.

Compared to his rookie year, where he spent most of his time playing to the perimeter, McCue seemed to find himself in more scoring positions this past year. He’ll never be seen as someone capable of ripping clapbombs from just about everywhere, but McCue can and will fight to the death in front of the net to pot home a rebound or take space away. McCue loves when things get physical, and that might be where he succeeds the most because he’s willing to rough guys up just about anywhere.

“He’d land hits as a rookie, but that was about it,” said one scout. “He was an older 2024 draft-eligible because he was born two weeks after the 2023 cutoff, so he had to show serious improvement last year if he was going to get drafted. And he did.”

If McCue makes the NHL, it’s for being a body-banger. Teams like those high-motor wingers who can add the odd goal and aren’t afraid to ruffle some feathers. Someone like… Tverberg, who looks like a potential bottom-six option one day for Toronto after being a serious longshot. If the Leafs can get a similar trajectory from McCue, he could set himself up to actually become something in a pipeline that can use a bit more energy and muscle.

But to do that, McCue needs to add more speed. There are plenty of potential bottom-six players who can fly around the ice much quicker than McCue. He also needs to find ways to generate more high-quality chances and shoot confidently from just about anywhere. For now, he’s not dynamic enough to make himself indispensable, but he looked a lot more confident and engaged in the play as the season wore on last year to believe there could still be something here.

The majority of seventh-round picks don’t develop into NHLers, and without finding another skill level, McCue likely won’t be one, either. But his development has shown enough improvement over the past 12 months to suggest there’s still more for him to unlock if the Leafs are willing to be patient with him.