Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Why the Maple Leafs stink

Under a salary cap there is only one way to build a winner in the NHL, through the draft. Every team has figured it out but the Maple Leafs. That is why at the 2009 trading deadline, only one deal was made for a first round draft pick. It is suicide in the NHL today to give away high draft picks. And the way teams lock up their few star players, you aren't going to get another crack at them as free agents (the Sedins, Rick Nash, etc). Every other team has figured it out but our Leafs.

Below are the five drafts since the lockout. Some rounds the Leafs have multiple picks as a result of trades. The players in blue are currently with the Leafs. The players in green are picks still in the Leaf system. The ones in red are the players picked up in trades for draft picks.


2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Round 1

Andrew Raycroft

Phillippe Paradis

Veas Toskala

Luke Schenn

Nazem Kadri

Round 2

Brian Leetch

Nikolai Kulemin

Vesa Toskala

James Hayes

Kenny Ryan

Jesse Blacker

Round 3

Phil Oreskovic

Jeff O’Neill

Dale Mitchell

Jamal Mayers

Jamie Devane

Round 4

Ron Francis

James Reimer

Korbinian Holzer

Matt Frattin

Ben Winnett

Mikhail Stefanovich

Vesa Toskala

Round 5

Alex Berry

Luke Richardson

Juraj Mikus

Greg Pateryn

Joel Champagne

Jerome Flaake

Eric Knodel

Round 6

John Pohl

Viktor Stalberg

Tyler Ruegsegger

Leo Komarov

Chris DiDomenico

Grant Rollheiser

Jerry D’Amigo

Round 7

Chad Rau

Chris Frank

Benn Ferriero

Carl Gunnarsson

Andrew MacWilliam

Barron Smith