Your Favourie Leaf Draft

[Stephen]

So, sitting here without a first round pick hours away from the first round, it’s looking like Toronto may be sitting on the sidelines as opposed to being major movers and shakers this evening.

So for fun, what was your favourite Leaf draft of all time, and/or what are some of your favourite Leaf related stories from the draft?

I think the Auston Matthews lottery win and first overall selection is going to be a popular pick but I’m going to go with 1994. That was the year Cliff Fletcher and the Leafs pulled off the Clark for Sundin draft day blockbuster. But it was also one of my favourite moments because we picked Eric Fichaud.

In reality Fichaud didn’t really pan out as a Leaf goalie or NHL star at the end but at the time he was this Felix Potvin clone who took Chicoutimi to the Memorial Cup that year. As a kid and big goalie fan that was the height of excitement to have those goalies on the Leafs.

What are some of your best moments?

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[Fonzieleaf]

The 2006 draft is considered one of the best in recent maple leaf history. We drafted a bunch of players that turned into NHL players. Some played more leaf games then others but nonetheless they were NHLers.

If IIRC that was the year they REALLY wanted Brian Little and decided not to trade up to get a better draft selection. They thought they were gonna get him until Atlanta snagged him one pick before us. They were pissed and so they settled for Jiri Tlusty. I really liked the Kulemin pick though.

 

[40BayStreet]

Honestly, I was dying for the leafs to draft Luke Schenn. When we ended up trading up I was so excited because I knew we had done so for him. That was probably the most exciting draft day for me. I’m hindsight, didn’t work out the greatest.
The Matthews draft was also very memorable.

 

[67Cup]

My favourite draft remains the one that first got me interested in the draft at all, 1973. The Leafs had three first round draft choice that year and took Lanny McDonald, Bob Neely and Ian Turnbull. Neely had been a star junior DMan for Peterborough but never really adjusted to the blueline in the NHL. He did make some useful contributions as a winger, however. Ian Turnbull became one of the most dangerous offensive Dmen in the league. And, of course, Lanny became a Hall of Famer, chiefly in Calgary… terrible trade, that!

No other Leaf draftee that year played a game in the NHL. However, the Leafs signed two Swedish free agents, Inge Hammarstrom and the great Borje Salming. Salming was a superstar!

 

[The Iceman]

Has to be 1989
Mats Sundin 1

Leafs had 3 1st round picks and selected all 3 players from Belleville Bulls.
I was hoping for Stu Barnes at 3. He went 4 and we selected Scott Thornton who had a long career elsewhere.
12 we got Rob Pearson. A good tough scoring winger that didn't have as long of a career as I thought he would have.
21 we got Steve Bancroft. WHO??
22 was Adam Foote from the SOO Greyhounds who played 1100+ games...giant ouch

In the 3rd round some dude named Nic Lidstrom went to Detroit.

 

[diehardleafsfan9878]

2014 and 2017 were 2 drafts that I thought there would be no way the guys I wanted would be available. But they ended up getting Nylander and Liljegren anyways due to dumb luck, and terrible drafting above them.

 

[The Iceman]

2014 and 2017 were 2 drafts that I thought there would be no way the guys I wanted would be available. But they ended up getting Nylander and Liljegren anyways due to dumb luck, and terrible drafting above them.

HMMM, nobody selected ahead of Lily has played less NHL games than he has.

 

[Buds17]

2016-Don't like to be in that spot, but the hope is you've drafted correctly and won't be again anytime soon. Matthews has delivered in that light.

2017-Liljegren obviously dropped in the rankings. The Leafs don't nab him without that though. The team made the playoffs too.

I remember not being too fond of the 1994 edition.

 

[bentharbs]

Something about the Kadri draft just still gets me.

It’s probably the video of Burke and Brian Murray.

 

[Stigma]

2015 - Felt like the start of a new era
2016 - I was in Buffalo for that one. Lots of fun.
2017 - This one was the most fun to watch while also browsing this forum. We all watched Lily drop, pick after pick. The energy in here was crazy! It was the one time where maybe 98% of us were pumped up about the same thing.

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

2015 for me. Picking 4th overall, we didn't know if we were gonna go with Marner, Strome, Hankins or Provorov. I wanted Marner early in the year based on scouting reports and then I got to see him live and a few times on TV later in the year. Was thrilled when we got him. There was also the rumors about us trading down and targeting Werenski and Rantanen. Such an exciting draft.

 

[PromisedLand]

My fav Leafs draft hasn't happened yet

(yea I know thats a cop out answer; but thats how i feel)

 

[The Iceman]

My fav Leafs draft hasn't happened yet

(yea I know thats a cop out answer; but thats how i feel)

HA. Pretty sure this year won't do it for you either.

 

[Bellefour20]

 

[hamzarocks]

2021

No arguing over the quality of player we got

 

[The Podium]

Has to be 1989
Mats Sundin 1

Leafs had 3 1st round picks and selected all 3 players from Belleville Bulls.
I was hoping for Stu Barnes at 3. He went 4 and we selected Scott Thornton who had a long career elsewhere.
12 we got Rob Pearson. A good tough scoring winger that didn't have as long of a career as I thought he would have.
21 we got Steve Bancroft. WHO??
22 was Adam Foote from the SOO Greyhounds who played 1100+ games...giant ouch

In the 3rd round some dude named Nic Lidstrom went to Detroit.

Isnt that the year Ballard fired his scouting department and just had 1 scout go to bulls games?