Whereas they aren’t going to harken again to Cliff Fletcher’s notorious “draft schmaft” strategy to roster-building, the Toronto Maple Leafs merely haven’t been ready to make the NHL Entry Draft a high precedence in recent times. That’s what occurs if you’re a perennial playoff staff – you choose later in every spherical and have a tendency to make use of picks and prospects as commerce belongings to amass gamers that will help you win now.
Current drafts provide plentiful examples of this lack of emphasis. The Maple Leafs made simply 11 whole picks over the 2021, 2022 and 2023 drafts. Even this previous summer time, they re-stocked their system with eight new drafted prospects, however just one decide was within the high 120. It’s a credit score to the membership’s entrance workplace – beneath each former basic supervisor (GM) Kyle Dubas and present GM Brad Treliving – that they’ve nonetheless managed to reap the rewards of their restricted choices, including gamers like Pontus Holmberg, Nicholas Robertson, Topi Niemela, Matthew Knies, and Easton Cowan in latest seasons.
Then, there’s the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Toronto confronted loads of obstacles when it got here to including younger expertise to their prospect pool, because the pandemic had robbed NHL scouting departments of the possibility to observe draft-eligible prospects play. Moreover, the membership traded away their very own first-, second-, third- and fifth-round choices, in the end cobbling collectively 5 whole picks and solely two within the top-100.
Nonetheless, it’s a credit score to the Maple Leafs scouting division that we at the moment are seeing the group reap the advantages of what seems poised to go down as a memorable, affect draft class.
Fraser Minten – Second Spherical, Thirty eighth General
Sometimes, utilizing future belongings to get out from beneath an ill-advised contract could be a important blow to a corporation’s pipeline. Look no additional than when the Maple Leafs needed to use a 2020 first-rounder (that in the end turned Seth Jarvis) to dump Patrick Marleau’s $6 million cap hit onto the Carolina Hurricanes. But, Toronto’s efforts to get out from beneath the final two years of Petr Mrazek’s contract appear to have yielded a pleasant profit.
In dealing Mrazek to the Chicago Blackhawks, the Maple Leafs moved 13 spots again within the 2022 Draft, sending out the Twenty fifth-overall choice however returning the Thirty eighth-overall decide. Whereas Twenty fifth decide Sam Rinzel continues to man the blue line on the College of Minnesota, the Thirty eighth decide was Fraser Minten, who’s now making his case to stay across the NHL degree amidst what has been a formidable five-game exhibiting.
Nonetheless simply 20 years outdated, Minten has opened eyes within the group along with his poise and manufacturing out of the number-three centre function, recording two targets and 4 factors. Whilst a few of the membership’s veteran forwards return to the lineup, he’s making a robust case to stay within the function transferring ahead. If he can function a long-term foundational piece down the center for the Maple Leafs, then they may have Mrazek partially to thank.
Dennis Hildeby – Fourth Spherical, 122nd General
Homegrown goaltending hasn’t precisely been an organizational power for the Maple Leafs in recent times. Nonetheless, with the event of Joseph Woll and the encouraging trajectories of Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov, issues seem like turning round.
It was Hildeby who was drafted within the fourth spherical of the 2022 Draft, taken out of the Swedish Junior Hockey League. Regardless of being simply the sixth goalie to come back off the board, the 6-foot-7 netminder stays the one 2022 prospect between the pipes to have reached the NHL.
As you may anticipate from an inexperienced 23-year-old, the early outcomes for Hildeby — 1-1 with a 4.03 targets towards common (GAA) and an .869 save proportion (SV%) — have been uneven and inconsistent. On the American Hockey League degree, although, he has adopted up a robust 2023-24 marketing campaign with the Toronto Marlies (21-11-7 with a 2.41 GAA and .913 SV%) with comparable numbers up to now this season (2-1-2 with a 2.34 GAA and .910 SV%). Instantly, the Maple Leafs appear to have an enviable cache of goaltending depth – and Hildeby stands as an enormous a part of that.
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Nikita Grebenkin – Fifth Spherical, one hundred and thirty fifth General
How do you turn out to be a fan favorite in Toronto in only a handful of video games whereas taking part in lower than 10 minutes an evening? Easy, simply begin laying folks out. That appears to be working for Nikita Grebenkin, who collected seven hits over his first two profession NHL video games towards the Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Hockey Membership and added 4 extra in Monday’s 4-1 win over the Blackhawks.
The 21-year-old ahead’s play has led to some native media nicknaming him “Hanson-ov” in reference to the enduring, smash-mouth trio of brothers from the film Slap Shot, is probably not sufficient to maintain him within the NHL, however it has earned him admirers.
“He’s numerous enjoyable,” says Minten, who was additionally his teammate with the Marlies. “He’s a enjoyable man. He loves hockey. He’s actually aggressive.”
Grebenkin’s enchantment has additionally come within the type of some hilarious interview soundbytes, wherein his enjoyable, partaking persona has shone proper by way of any language boundaries he might face. He nonetheless hasn’t recorded his first NHL level and extra seasoning could also be required earlier than full-time NHL responsibility calls, but when he can provide a bodily on-ice presence and a likable, endearing off-ice presence, he’s going to be in style with followers and teammates alike transferring ahead.
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Already with Minten trying like a future top-niine mainstay, Hildeby providing priceless insurance coverage in internet, and Grebenkin rapidly rising right into a cult favorite, the Maple Leafs’ 2022 class might nonetheless yield extra fruit. Nicholas Moldenhauer (third spherical, ninety fifth oveall) is in his second 12 months with the Michigan Wolverines after a robust two-year stint with the USHL’s Chicago Metal, whereas Brandon Lisowsky (seventh spherical, 218th general) has been a long-time standout for the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League.
To be honest, none of Minten, Hildeby, or Grebenkin have but to ascertain themselves as full-time NHL gamers. Hildeby is at the moment within the AHL and can possible stay there barring an harm to Anthony Stolarz or Woll. In the meantime, the return of injured Maple Leafs will nearly definitely spell the top of Grebenkin’s stint with the massive membership and will do the identical for Minten. Nonetheless, three gamers from the 2022 class haven’t solely discovered their method to the NHL on a playoff-calibre roster, however have proven some critical promise and provided hope for down the street.
