2017 Draft Watch

[CarltonTheBear]

Jeff Marek's final 2017 draft rankings: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/jeff-mareks-top-100-prospects-2017-nhl-draft/

Future Leaf All-Star Erik Brannstrom is ranked 14th on his list.

[louisstamos]

Conor Timmins is the guy I'm more and more intrigued by the more I read about him.  He's ranked all over the place, from #19 (McKeen) to #45 (Marek).  I'm not sure he'll still be there by the time our 2nd pick rolls around, but if we can acquire a late 1st/early 2nd - he's the guy I take.

http://editorinleaf.com/2017/03/04/toronto-maple-leafs-conor-timmins/

[bustaheims]

Brannstrom (or, by some miracle, Liljagren) would obviously be my top choice, but I'd be pretty happy with Juuso Valimaki. Or, to a lesser extent, Hague.

[herman]

Barring a heavy fall by one of the projected first rounders, I'm looking for us to pick up Artyom Minulin in the second round.

Underrated, two-way playmaking RHD that's not small and not afraid to show it. Could really elevate his game with more work on his skating and his shot.

[Nik Bethune]

Looking at options for the 2nd round pick in the kind of interesting department: Eemeli Rasanen is big(6'7 200lbs), a right handed shot and doesn't appear to just be a lump(39 points).

[Frank E]

Anybody got a list of interesting overagers?

Right?

[louisstamos]

Anybody got a list of interesting overagers?

Right?

[herman]

MLHS did a very thorough report on a prospect I have minimal interest in drafting in the first round, but super excited to draft in the second (which I doubt would happen for us).

https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2017/05/24/nicolas-hague-2017-nhl-draft-profile/

[Nik Bethune]

So things are mostly settled now. The Leafs have picks #17, 59, 110, 123(or 124), 141, 172 and 203.

[CarltonTheBear]

So things are mostly settled now. The Leafs have picks #17, 59, 110, 123(or 124), 141, 172 and 203.

Leafs had 7 of the first 101 picks in last years draft. 6 of the first 95 picks in the 2015 draft. Just 2 in this one (as things stand now).

Obviously we couldn't stockpile picks like that forever. Better hope some of those picks from those 2 years hit though.

[Nik Bethune]

Leafs had 7 of the first 101 picks in last years draft. 6 of the first 95 picks in the 2015 draft. Just 2 in this one (as things stand now).

Obviously we couldn't stockpile picks like that forever. Better hope some of those picks from those 2 years hit though.

Yeah, I mean, obviously the sacrificed 3rds are what they are and I don't regret the Boyle trade really(I've said my piece on the Andersen deal) but after at one point thinking of this draft as the one where they're loaded up on 2nd round picks to only having the one is a little disappointing. Especially because those are picks that are valuable assets in moving up if, say, one of the defensemen in the draft is one the team likes more than the others.

I suppose they could use next years picks for that but I guess that's the price you pay for the legitimately enjoyable run they went on.

[CarltonTheBear]

The Athletic looks at a few potential draft candidates at 17: https://theathletic.com/61259/2017/05/29/seven-great-candidates-for-the-maple-leafs-first-round-pick-at-the-2017-nhl-draft/

The 7 candidates they write-up are:

(Future Leafs great) D Erik Brannstrom, D Callan Foote, D Nicolas Hague, F Nick Suzuki, F Kailer Yamamoto, F Jason Robertson, D Juuso Valimaki

I know everyone here is focusing on the defenceman, and for good reason I think, but if either of Suzuki or Yamamoto are available they could also both be terrific picks. Both are high-end scorers being held back in the draft rankings strictly because of their size it seems.

This draft class obviously doesn't have a McDavid/Eichel/Matthews type player at the top, but the 1st round seems to be pretty deep after that. We should be able to pick-up a very good prospect.

[herman]

Here's an old video of Kailer Yamamoto I found back in January. I had hoped he might be one of our 2nd round picks back when we had two, but we've since sold the higher option and Yamamoto has played himself into 1st round projections.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwj4kpGb_GA[/youtube]

However, smaller players can drop an entire round every year, so there might still be a good shot at him (e.g. Vitaly Abramov)

Also, his brother's name is Keanu.

[Nik Bethune]

I know everyone here is focusing on the defenceman, and for good reason I think, but if either of Suzuki or Yamamoto are available they could also both be terrific picks. Both are high-end scorers being held back in the draft rankings strictly because of their size it seems.

I think that's a really fair point to make. Obviously the backend needs the most help but the sort of accelerated success they experienced last year has kind of forced them into a situation where they can't really address that problem via the draft. Even an accelerated development schedule for one of these guys, where they're making big contributions by 20 or 21, seems like too long to wait. It's probably going to have to be trades and free agency and if drafting a highly skilled forward frees up the possibility of trading guys like Brown or Kapanen in their hunt for defence it's something you at least have to think about. 

[herman]

I know everyone here is focusing on the defenceman, and for good reason I think, but if either of Suzuki or Yamamoto are available they could also both be terrific picks. Both are high-end scorers being held back in the draft rankings strictly because of their size it seems.

I think that's a really fair point to make. Obviously the backend needs the most help but the sort of accelerated success they experienced last year has kind of forced them into a situation where they can't really address that problem via the draft. Even an accelerated development schedule for one of these guys, where they're making big contributions by 20 or 21, seems like too long to wait. It's probably going to have to be trades and free agency and if drafting a highly skilled forward frees up the possibility of trading guys like Brown or Kapanen in their hunt for defence it's something you at least have to think about.

It's the direction I thought they would go for goaltending back in 2015, and I think there is an opportunity with the Expansion Draft to swing for something like that.

I'd still like to see the defense pipeline shored up with players that aren't of the Desrocher/Mattinen/Middleton mold.