Leafs must find quality in lower rounds of draft
Dubas says scouting staff will be more important than development staff
First. Seventeenth. Twentyninth. Fifty-third.
Those are the draft positions for the Maple Leafs’ top pick dating back to Auston Matthews going No. 1 overall in 2016, followed by Timothy Liljegren in 2017 and Rasmus Sandin in 2018. The last is this year’s selection, which will be deep in the second round.
The picks have been getting further from the top as the Leafs’ record has improved and, this year, GM Kyle Dubas felt comfortable trading the team’s first-round pick to Los Angeles as part of a package that landed defenceman Jake Muzzin. It was a move he hoped would take the Leafs deeper into the playoffs. Unless Dubas makes a move to get back into the opening round, this will be the first time since 2010 the Leafs will not have much to do on Friday night in Vancouver, when the first-rounders are paraded to the stage. They’ll be working diligently on Saturday, though, when they will have seven picks in the next six rounds.
It’s easy to find players in the first round. Much more difficult later on.
“Our scouting staff is going to become even more important than our development staff,” Dubas said at last month’s draft combine in Buffalo. “These are all important drafts for us, and for a long time.”
Teams like to say they need to get two players out of every draft — two out of seven — to consider themselves successful. Getting three is nothing short of amazing. But without a first-round pick, getting one might be hard.
The Leafs have done OK, but not great, in recent years in the later rounds. Here’s a look at how the Leafs have done after the first round since 2006, including their best selection and a handful that might be on their way to the big club:
SECOND ROUND
Defenceman Travis Dermott (2015) stands out as Leafs’ best second-round pick since choosing Nikolay Kulemin in the second round in 2006. Dermott will miss the start of the season due to shoulder surgery.
On the way: Forward Jeremy Bracco (2015) is first in line for a call-up after a stellar year with the Marlies. The Leafs just signed winger Egor Korshkov (2016), whose size (six-foot-four) offers an intriguing counterbalance to Toronto’s undersized lineup.
THIRD ROUND
Winger Josh Leivo (2011), traded to Vancouver in December, was the club’s best third-round pick in the cap era, in a draft that saw the Leafs miss twice in the first round with forward Tyler Biggs and defenceman Stuart Percy. Biggs never played in the NHL, a rarity for a firstrounder; Percy played12 games.
On the way: The Leafs are very high on playmaking forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (2018), a skilled Russian who plays in Peterborough and joined the Newfoundland Growlers for the ECHL playoffs. Goalie Joseph Woll (2016) will begin his pro apprenticeship this fall.
FOURTH ROUND
Goalie James Reimer, now with Florida, came from the bountiful 2006 draft. Matt Frattin (2007) and Korbinian Holzer (2006) are other notable fourth-rounders to have played at least 100 games.
On the way: Defenceman Mac Hollowell (2018) graduated from the Soo Greyhounds and played to rave reviews with the Marlies in the playoffs. Goalie Ian Scott (2017) played for Canada at the world juniors and was the top goalie in the WHL.
FIFTH ROUND
Though he never played for the Leafs, they took Greg Pateryn in 2008, flipped him almost immediately in a package to Montreal for Mikhail Grabovski. Pateryn has 247 games under his belt, is a right-handed defenceman and is eking out a pretty good career in Minnesota. On the way: Winger Dmytro Timashov (2015) found his game with a 49-point season with the Marlies this season. He’s behind Bracco and Korshkov on the depth chart, though.
SIXTH ROUND
Winger Connor Brown (2012) is the current high-water mark for the Leafs at this position, a testament to hard work and simple will combined with just enough skill. He succeeds Leo Komarov (2006). On the way: Winger Pontus Holmberg (2018) played for Sweden at the world juniors.
SEVENTH ROUND
Forward Andreas Johnsson (2013) heads a group from a position where the Leafs have done absurdly well. They’ve taken defenceman Carl Gunnarsson (2007) and goalie Garret Sparks (2011) in the cap era and defenceman Anton Stralman (2005) right before it. On the way: There’s hope for Pierre Engvall (2014) thanks to his size (six-foot-five) and ability to play either wing or centre. He had a pretty good year with the Marlies that included 19 goals.