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Leafs 2017 Entry Draft

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I hoping Timothy Liljegren is still around for Leafs selection, but probably gone. Wouldn't even mind them moving up a few spots, without giving up the farm, for a skilled player over a Luke Schenn type. Otherwise just like them to take best player available.
 
Even though our need is clear, I'm beginning to lean toward a best player available philosophy as a general rule, primarily because I trust management now more than in the past.
 
I say it every year but "best player available" is sort of a cop out when it comes to a draft strategy. I understand the basics of not drafting for specific or immediate positional need but beyond that it's not really a guiding principle. Does it mean the player who's the most NHL ready now? The one with the highest ceiling regardless of any potential character or health concerns? Is it safest pick? How do you weigh who's better between a small scoring winger and a defenseman without a lot of scoring upside? Or a goalie?

i feel like people who advocate "best player available" do so because it sounds like a responsible thing to say where you're emphasizing "goodness" over other considerations but  wanting to have a well-rounded prospect base at every position is no more reckless or poorly considered than whatever any one person's definition of "best" is going to turn out to be.

All draft picks are going to be made taking any number of factors into consideration and the choice will be made through synthesis and arriving at someone the team likes the most. Position shouldn't necessarily be the guiding factor but it should be a factor.
 
Scott Wheeler highlighted several appealing targets at the AthleticTO:

Unlikely to fall to 17, but you grab him if you can: Juuso Valimaki (D)
Fills a need (D) and likely to be around at #17: Erik Brannstrom, Callan Foote, Nic Hague
Forwards: Nick Suzuki (C), Kailer Yamamoto (RW), Jason Robertson (LW)

Sounds like they're all 2-3 years away from making any sort of impact. Since we're most likely going to be looking at moving on from Gardiner and Kadri around then (leaving a permanent core of Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Rielly, and Andersen), I'd be happy if they took any of the defensemen or Suzuki (whose scouting profile makes him sound a lot like Kadri).
 
Just as a preemptive measure, here's a handful of prospects I'd like to see us avoid in the 1st round:

Michael Rasmussen
Robert Thomas
Callan Foote
Ryan Poehling

Largely just for general 'not high enough ceiling' reasons.

 
I'm on the Erik Brannstrom bandwagon. However, if Timothy Liljegren is still there ate 17th I would take him instead of Brannstrom.

 
Kaberle15 said:
I'm on the Erik Brannstrom bandwagon. However, if Timothy Liljegren is still there ate 17th I would take him instead of Brannstrom.
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They're both swedish, one of them is the next Karlsson.  Let's get him.  Nylander/next Karlsson/Rosen/Borgman
5364ce249d63e669577f118ccdd83f2e_400x400.jpeg

 
CarltonTheBear said:
Just as a preemptive measure, here's a handful of prospects I'd like to see us avoid in the 1st round:

Michael Rasmussen
Robert Thomas
Callan Foote
Ryan Poehling

Largely just for general 'not high enough ceiling' reasons.
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Robert Thomas is a potential 1st round pick?  Wow.  I really like the kid.  I think he will make a good 2nd/3rd line center who can play in the final minutes of a game/on the PK but he's a great 2nd round pickup, not a 1st round pick.
 
L K said:
Robert Thomas is a potential 1st round pick?  Wow.  I really like the kid.  I think he will make a good 2nd/3rd line center who can play in the final minutes of a game/on the PK but he's a great 2nd round pickup, not a 1st round pick.
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Yeah, that's like the vibe that I get from him too from what I've read. He seems like a very "safe" middle of the line-up player. But he's risen into the 20s in lots of rankings, and I've seen some make the (lazy) Knights connection with the Leafs.
 
Shilton:

Lamoriello wouldn?t say whether he?d been in touch with defenceman ?s Matt Hunwick's camp

Hunwick has a camp?

Lou: "Hi, I'd like to speak to the Hunwick camp, the director, please."
Voice at the other end: "This is Matt."
Lou: "I need to talk dollars.  Should I be speaking to your agent?"
Voice: "You got him, this is Matt."
Lou: "So your camp has, uh, decamped?"
Voice: "I'm your Matt.  Matt, Matt, Matt."
 
Makar goes 4th to Colorado. He'll be a really fun player to keep an eye on if the Avs don't butcher his development.
 
Yet another year with lots of talk about trading out of the top 5 but nothing happens.
 
Is it me or is this really strange and subdued draft coverage? Like the guys at the desk are Cosentino and Debrusk which is Sportsnet's Z team with someone like Elliott Friedman on the floor asking useless questions and Jeff Marek doing...something I suppose.

Maybe I'm just comparing it to the NBA last night but it seems like Sportsnet's top guys all declined to show up.
 
They've brought up repeatedly that Cody Glass, a kid with top 10 talent, had to stop playing for a while because his family couldn't afford it and yet nobody has stopped to say that, you know, that's kind of messed up and wrong and a problem in minor hockey.

But don't worry, they asked repeatedly about the kid's dead grandmother.
 
Nik the Trik said:
Is it me or is this really strange and subdued draft coverage? Like the guys at the desk are Cosentino and Debrusk which is Sportsnet's Z team with someone like Elliott Friedman on the floor asking useless questions and Jeff Marek doing...something I suppose.

Maybe I'm just comparing it to the NBA last night but it seems like Sportsnet's top guys all declined to show up.
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Yeah, that's weird. I wonder what they'll do if a big trade drops.
 
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