How was this current Maple Leafs team built? Draft? Trades? Free agency?

[GalacticaActual]

NOTE: Updated this on 2024-11-25, after the quarter-mark of the season with 7 new players: Dewar, Steeves, Hakanpää, Minten, Grebenkin, Myers, and A. Nylander. Also removed Liljegren from the list, since he has been traded to a new team for Matt Benning (note: Benning is not on the list because he hasn't played any games yet for the Leafs!).

The Maple Leafs look elite defensively this year, with an excellent goalie tandem. Their 5-on-5 scoring leaves much to be desired, but to be fair, they have gone through many injuries this year.


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Here's a breakdown showing how many players from the current team were drafted, were acquired via trade, or were signed via free agency!

Some notable statistics:

• 11 players were drafted by the Maple Leafs.
  • 1 player was drafted 1st overall (Auston Matthews)
  • 4 players were drafted in the first round
• 15 players were signed by free agency (16 if you include Tanev, whose rights were acquired via trade during an offseason).
  • 10 of these players were signed as recently as last year (2023 or later)
• 3 players were acquired via trade (4 if you include Tanev)

Drafted:

1. D Morgan Rielly, 2012, 1st round, 5th overall
2. RW William Nylander, 2014, 1st round, 8th overall
3. RW Mitch Marner, 2015, 1st round, 4th overall
4. C Auston Matthews, 2016, 1st round, 1st overall
5. G Joseph Woll, 2016, 3rd round, 62nd overall
6. RW Pontus Holmberg, 2018, 6th round, 156th overall
7. LW Nicholas Robertson, 2019, 2nd round, 53rd overall
8. LW Matthew Knies, 2021, 2nd round, 57th overall
9. C Fraser Minten, 2022, 2nd round, 38th overall
10. G Dennis Hildeby, 2022, 4th round, 122nd overall
11. RW Nikita Grebenkin, 2022, 5th round, 135th overall

Signed:

1. C John Tavares, 2018, free agent from New York Islanders
2. C Alex Steeves, 2021, undrafted free agent
3. C David Kampf, 2021, free agent from Chicago Blackhawks
4. C Calle Jarnkrok, 2022, free agent from Calgary Flames
5. C Bobby McMann, 2022, undrafted free agent
6. D Simon Benoit, 2023, free agent from Anaheim Ducks
7. C Max Domi, 2023, free agent from Dallas Stars
8. RW Ryan Reaves, 2023, free agent from Minnesota Wild
9. D Philippe Myers, 2024, free agent from Tampa Bay Lightning
10. G Anthony Stolarz, 2024, free agent from Florida Panthers
11. D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, 2024, free agent from Florida Panthers
12. LW Max Pacioretty, 2024, free agent from Washington Capitals
13. C Steven Lorentz, 2024, free agent from Florida Panthers
14. D Jani Hakanpää, 2024, free agent from Dallas Stars
15. LW Alex Nylander, 2024, free agent from Columbus Blue Jackets

Traded:

1. D Connor Timmins, 2022, acquired from Arizona Coyotes for Curtis Douglas
2. D Jake McCabe, 2023, acquired from Chicago Blackhawks (along with Sam Lafferty, conditional 2024 pick and conditional 2025 pick) for Joey Anderson, Pavel Gogolev, conditional 2025 pick and 2026 2nd round pick.
3. C Connor Dewar, 2024, acquired from Minnesota Wild for Dmitry Ovchinnikov and 2026 4th round pick.

Trade & Sign:

1. D Chris Tanev, 2024, promptly signed after rights were acquired from Dallas Stars for Max Ellis and 2026 7th round pick

Click to read more...

 

[Rare Jewel]

Only two players acquired via trade seems low.

 

[Jojalu]

Only two players acquired via trade seems low.

Eapecially with how many deadline deals rhe Leafa have made over the past 8 years

 

[GalacticaActual]

Only two players acquired via trade seems low.

Eapecially with how many deadline deals rhe Leafa have made over the past 8 years

Whoever those acquisitions are, they’re either in the system (Marlies or elsewhere) or have left via free agency. These players in the OP are among the players that are currently on the team at this moment and that have played thin big league NHL games this year.

 

[Jojalu]

Whoever those acquisitions are, they’re either in the system (Marlies or elsewhere) or have left via free agency. These players in the OP are among the players that are currently on the team at this moment and that have played thin big league NHL games this year.

I realise that.

Surprising that only two acquisitions over the years have remained a Leaf.

 

[Buds17]

Pacioretty, Lorentz, and especially McMann obviously all were signings that somehow still feel slightly different from the others due to the aspects of 'PTO' and 'Undrafted Free Agent' respectively being involved.

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

Traded for Dewar

 

[LeafSteel]

In before the inevitable thread derailment!!!!

 

[Leaf Rocket]

In before the inevitable thread derailment!!!!

 

[GalacticaActual]

Traded for Dewar

You are right. However, Dewar hasn’t played a game yet and isn’t considered part of the NHL roster. For that reason, he was omitted from the OP.

 

[Rare Jewel]

In before the inevitable thread derailment!!!!

It'll only take a sentence...

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Eapecially with how many deadline deals rhe Leafa have made over the past 8 years

players dont stay as there is no money to pay them.

and players vote with their feet.

In before the inevitable thread derailment!!!!

complaining about thread derailment is itself derailing.
nice job.

Spoiler: Not to mention .....

TRADE MARNER

Just getting in my daily rep, like this savage.

 

[Tak7]

Only two players acquired via trade seems low.

I'd love to see how this compares to other contender's rosters across the league - it feels as though trades are at a premium nowadays, and with the cap going up teams seem more interested in locking down their own players to more money rather than using that extra wiggle room for trades.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Need to add Jared McCann
to
Bobby McMann

 

[HamiltonNHL]

I'd love to see how this compares to other contender's rosters across the league -

Teams with better weather get better trades.

Canada in general will have less trades, and this will worsen alot with more American born players.

 

[Sypher04]

I'd love to see how this compares to other contender's rosters across the league - it feels as though trades are at a premium nowadays, and with the cap going up teams seem more interested in locking down their own players to more money rather than using that extra wiggle room for trades.

Seems like a reasonable take. I don’t have any to prove or disprove either

 

[MK78]

Teams with better weather get better trades.

Its flippin' hockey. if they can't take the cold go play beach voleyball.

besides, they have to travel to play in the cold weather cities anyway as visitors, and there are plenty of those in the US & Canada.

 

[Tak7]

Teams with better weather get better trades.

Canada in general will have less trades, and this will worsen alot with more American born players.

And the taxman factor as well.

 

[darrylsittler27]

D

Here's a breakdown showing how many players from the current team were drafted, were acquired via trade, or were signed via free agency!

Some notable statistics:

• 10 players were drafted by the Maple Leafs.
  • 1 player was drafted 1st overall (Auston Matthews)
  • 5 players were drafted in the first round
• 11 players were signed by free agency (12 if you include Tanev, whose rights were acquired via trade during an offseason).
  • 7 of these players were signed as recently as last year (2023 or later)
• 2 players were acquired via trade (3 if you include Tanev)

Drafted:

1. D Morgan Rielly, 2012, 1st round, 5th overall
2. RW William Nylander, 2014, 1st round, 8th overall
3. RW Mitch Marner, 2015, 1st round, 4th overall
4. C Auston Matthews, 2016, 1st round, 1st overall
5. G Joseph Woll, 2016, 3rd round, 62nd overall
6. D Timothy Liljegren, 2017, 1st round, 17th overall
7. RW Pontus Holmberg, 2018, 6th round, 156th overall
8. LW Nicholas Robertson, 2019, 2nd round, 53rd overall
9. LW Matthew Knies, 2021, 2nd round, 57th overall
10. G Dennis Hildeby, 2022, 4th round, 122nd overall

Signed:

1. C John Tavares, 2018, free agent from New York Islanders
2. C David Kampf, 2021, free agent from Chicago Blackhawks
3. C Calle Jarnkrok, 2022, free agent from Calgary Flames
4. C Bobby McMann, 2022, undrafted free agent
5. D Simon Benoit, 2023, free agent from Anaheim Ducks
6. C Max Domi, 2023, free agent from Dallas Stars
7. RW Ryan Reaves, 2023, free agent from Minnesota Wild
8. G Anthony Stolarz, 2024, free agent from Florida Panthers
9. D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, 2024, free agent from Florida Panthers
10. LW Max Pacioretty, 2024, free agent from Washington Capitals
11. C Steven Lorentz, 2024, free agent from Florida Panthers

Traded:

1. D Connor Timmins, 2022, acquired from Arizona Coyotes for Curtis Douglas
2. D Jake McCabe, 2023, acquired from Chicago Blackhawks (along with Sam Lafferty, conditional 2024 pick and conditional 2025 pick) for Joey Anderson, Pavel Gogolev, conditional 2025 pick and 2026 2nd round pick.

Trade & Sign:

1. D Chris Tanev, 2024, promptly signed after rights were acquired from Dallas Stars for Max Ellis and 2026 7th round pick

Don't forget own rentals.

 

[GalacticaActual]

Updated the thread with 7 new additions, now that it's the quarter mark of the season. Very interesting to see how heavily Toronto's roster leans towards the draft and free agency, versus trades.