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New York Times
05-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Maple Leafs development camp: Awards, observations and questions for Easton Cowan, more
The 2025 Maple Leafs development camp is nearly in the books, and The Athletic was there throughout. Let's take a look at some of the better performances we saw as well as questions, awards and other observations. First, it was Jake Muzzin. Now, 2024 first-round pick Ben Danford is benefiting from the one-on-one tutelage of Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev, whom he has worked with multiple times over the summer at the Leafs' practice facility. Danford's goal is to 'watch what Tanev does, emulate it and build it into my game.' Advertisement 'He is someone I've looked up to (for) the last couple of years. If I could play even close to his level at the NHL, I'd be super lucky,' Danford said. The prospect is trying to focus on making more effective breakout plays and adding more subtle tools to his defensive skill set. Danford will spend nearly all of his summer in Toronto around the Leafs. The Leafs wouldn't put together this plan if they didn't see potential in his future. At development camp, Danford looked like a far more active player than he did last year. He wanted to make more plays with the puck. Danford felt more like a heads-up defender who could change the course of shifts instead of one focused solely on stifling the opposition. The Leafs kept top prospect Easton Cowan off the ice through development camp, pointing to his heavy workload through two straight seasons filled with Memorial Cup runs and time at the world juniors. It's believed Cowan is not suffering from an injury. It might have been disappointing for those who don't regularly watch Cowan. But those who have watched him know how much closer he is to making an NHL impact. Cowan spent this London Knights season focusing on playing within a team structure instead of making daring offensive plays. Cowan is probably a more competent and responsible player than he was last season. He might get a serious look at training camp, when it really matters. 'The next step for Easton is the pro habits we talk about,' Leafs assistant GM Hayley Wickenheiser said. 'In junior, you can get away with long shifts and lagging or not tracking back pucks. We talk a lot about the things that will translate to being an everyday, impact pro player: cleaning up those areas of the ice, being able to play on the inside and with pace day in and day out, and being physically strong so that when he comes in, he can handle the grind that it is.' Advertisement Throughout the Leafs' 2025 playoffs, the organization invited multiple prospects to Toronto to watch games from the press box and interact with tweeners who themselves are looking to make the jump to the full-time NHL roster this season. It's a healthy attempt for the Leafs to expose prospects to what might be expected of them in the future, all while seeing first-hand the realities of making the jump to professional hockey. Among the prospects invited were defenceman Noah Chadwick, a 2023 sixth-round pick, and forward Hudson Malinoski, a 2023 fifth-round pick. Both players interacted with Leafs staff, including Brad Treliving, during the playoffs. Chadwick is high on the Leafs' list of defence prospects because of his 6-foot-4 frame and calmness with the puck in his own zone. His takeaways from watching Game 2 against the Panthers? 'Breaking it down and seeing the defensive masterclass guys like (Panthers defender Gustav Forsling) and (Leafs' Chris Tanev) put on. It's good gap and good stick work from Forsling, and trusting your feet. And with Tanev, it's the will: Blocking shots, getting in lanes, doing the hard things,' Chadwick said. Chadwick stood out at development camp because of his ability to use his reach to stifle opposition defenders and how clean his first pass was. His tight turns down low require work, and his shot needs to get heavier. But the Leafs love his smarts and his willingness to improve. With a few Marlies defenders leaving the organization (Topi Niemela and Mikko Kokkonen), it sounds like the Marlies want to give Chadwick plenty of runway in his AHL rookie season in 2025-26. 'I want to have a challenge and push my limits,' Chadwick said. As for Malinoski, he looks much faster and more eager to pounce around the goal than he did last season. He can turn from defence to offence remarkably quickly. I'd like to see that translate into a dominant season at Providence College. Advertisement Some players arrive at development camp with something to prove. Even fewer, such as Martins Lavins, arrive knowing exactly who they are and what they're capable of — and it shows. Lavins was a player I couldn't take my eyes off of. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound centre buzzed around the ice with noticeable competitiveness. The puck was a magnet to his stick. Lavins made effective, quick plays and was hell-bent on getting to the net. And there, his shot came off with the kind of force and precision few at development camp had. Lavins is an undrafted 22-year-old Latvian who has two seasons at the University of New Hampshire and two runs with Latvia at the world championships under his belt. Lavins struggled during his transition to the USHL as a junior player, which is likely why he went undrafted. But Lavins is a late bloomer. 'I know the Toronto Maple Leafs have been watching me,' he said confidently. Lavins also caught the eye of well-respected former Leafs U.S.-based scout Chris Roque, who made sure Lavins was invited to the 2024 development camp. Lavins earned another look this year, and he made the most of it. There wasn't a check he didn't finish with effort, and there was no play he gave up on. He's a bright, well-spoken man who seems ready to handle what's next. 'I can be a reliable, two-way forward who will do anything necessary to win,' Lavins said. I smell a professional contract in Lavins' future. Of note, Roque was one of the many former Leafs employees who have since joined Kyle Dubas in Pittsburgh. Keep an eye on the Penguins to possibly latch onto Lavins as well. 'My goal is to play in the NHL, and I know it will happen. I know myself, and I know I'll improve. I have a lot to work on, but I know I'll get there,' Lavins said. Something you don't see at every development camp: two players dropping the gloves. Advertisement But that's what 2025 seventh-round pick and noted pugilist Matthew Hlacar and heavy ECHL defender Rhett Parsons (entering the second year of a two-year AHL contract) did during the first on-ice session on Thursday. A battle drill saw players doing just that: battling and making an impression on a staff who doesn't mind the rough stuff. Rhett Parsons & Matthew Hlacar drop the gloves during Leafs development camp @BarDown — Mark Masters (@markhmasters) July 3, 2025 'Love the guy. Love every teammate here,' Parsons said of the tilt. 'But when you're in a battle drill, stuff like that happens. Total respect for him and no hard feeling off the ice.' 'Just two guys going hard and tempers flared,' Hlacar said. 'It happens. It's all good. I talked to him and we're fine.' Sometimes it only takes one moment in a development camp to make an impression. If either of these two has designs on grinding up to a heavyweight role in the NHL down the line, their fight feels like the beginning of something. It's worth noting, though: Hlacar's hands aren't just good for throwing bombs. He had better puck skills than you'd normally see for a seventh-round pick. Sneaky skill. We'll see. The good and the bad in my first live viewing of 2025 second-round pick Tinus Luc Koblar: He's a menace with the puck close to goal and can turn defenders quickly with his skill and nose for the net. He's got a better skating stride than I would have thought for a 6-foot-4 forward. Koblar can sometimes make physical play look easy with his range. And full marks for the effort: Koblar was the last player on the ice after the first on-ice session. 'Sometimes you just wonder how he keeps the puck with him,' Koblar's Leksands teammate Victor Johansson said. 'He's strong in the corners, he tries to flip around players and get them off him. That's what I think people don't see that I see from him.' Advertisement The bad? He could be in for a surprise once he starts playing against men in the SHL this season and possibly in the AHL or NHL down the road. While he's tall, Koblar needs to fill out with plenty of muscle for his body to truly have an impact. He's a gangly young player. Smart defenders might turn off him easily at the pro level. Heavier players might outmuscle him, too. Koblar has plenty of time, though. I see an interesting player developing. Nick Moldenhauer was my guy in 2023. I called him the best player at development camp in 2023, as evidenced by his consistently snarly play and smart, skilled play with the puck. Yet after two seasons at the University of Michigan, the 2022 third-round pick's game has not continued to develop. 'Definitely some ups and downs,' Moldenhauer said of his season. 'But there was a lot to learn.' At development camp, he seemed more reliable defensively. But offensively? He was too timid with the puck. His previous insistence on getting to the net and dictating the tempo of the play was missing. The swagger of a player who seemed to get under the skin of opponents seemed like a distant memory. In short, Moldenhauer looked like a player who scored just 11 goals in 70 games at Michigan. And a player who, crucially, fired at just a 9 percent clip last season. 'I thought there was definitely a lot of positives, although it might not have looked like it,' Moldenhauer said. 'But I think my inner slot shots were great this year. I just wasn't converting.' Development is not linear, and Moldenhauer's collegiate career is far from over. It feels like once he learns how to score in the NCAA, his confidence and his game will shoot back up. 'Every game feels like a playoff game,' the Mississauga-born Moldenhauer said of the NCAA compared to, say, the OHL. 'So it's not like you can take a game off and still get two points and stuff like that, like you could have done in junior hockey, so I think that's probably the biggest difference.' Advertisement The chances are there. They're just not falling. And for a player with his puck skills, he'll need to produce to be signed to a pro deal. 'Sunday pizza.' No, that's not the name of my forthcoming autobiography as the pizza connoisseur on The Athletic's NHL staff. It's the secret to 2024 fourth-round pick Victor Johansson shooting up from 146 pounds when he was drafted last year to 165 pounds this summer. 'I can eat a whole pizza in one sitting. What's that, like eight slices?' he said with a beaming grin. Johansson admits that through most of his career, he was on medication to treat his ADHD. That led to a decreased appetite. Yet he made the decision himself to go off the medication in the hopes of becoming more alert on the ice. 'I felt I was ready to take the next step in my life. School was ending, and I wanted to try it,' Johansson said. 'It was tough at the start with my focus. I took a lot of unnecessary penalties. But I've since started to play really well.' And going off the medication has led to him adding some much-needed size. 'I'll eat everything on the table now,' he said. Johansson came out of his shell with the puck this season. He wanted to bring a more daring approach to his offensive zone play. Yet he can balance that approach, as I saw at development camp. While Johansson needs more pop in his stride, he also played like arguably the most intelligent defence prospect. He waited for the right play to develop and never panicked with the puck. It already feels like he's capable of earning trust from a pro hockey coaching staff. After flirting with the SHL last season, his goal is to transition from Leksands' Under-20 team to the senior league, full-time. We probably need to be talking about Alexander Plesovskikh more. That was my takeaway from day two of development camp, when the 2024 fifth-round pick stood out. The winger's tremendous skating and edge work made him look dynamic in the offensive zone. If he can continue to showcase those puck skills on the rush, he could develop into a dominant offensive player. His finishing needs work, sure. But there's sneaky size and composure in his game. Advertisement It wouldn't surprise me if he has a big year in the Spartak Moscow organization this season. Remember one of Mike Babcock's most on-point, but still unique, compliments delivered to former Leafs defenceman Ron Hainsey? For those unfamiliar, the former Leafs head coach lauded the veteran defenceman ahead of the 2018 playoffs because Hainsey 'knows where to stand.' It was a direct way of saying that Hainsey's intelligence led to effective on-ice positioning. And it came to mind because I saw a lot of the same from Luke Haymes, the former Dartmouth College standout who signed a two-year NHL contract in March. The forward lined up against the rush in better spots than his peers. He almost always made effective, but unglamorous, plays like a professional should. It was easy to see a future low-cost fourth-line Leaf this week. 'We think he is a smart, crafty player,' Wickenheiser said. 'Can he play with pace and the other aspects of the physicality while being able to be a defensively reliable forward as well?' My sense was the Leafs had some interest in 6-foot-3 no-nonsense defenceman Owen Conrad heading into the draft. But the rugged Charlottetown Islanders blueliner went undrafted. The next day, he received a call from the Leafs. They wanted him at development camp, and their interest in him as a project remains. Conrad oozes maturity and toughness. He's constantly bumping forwards off pucks. Conrad was more willing than any other defenceman to box forwards out near the goal and use his size to muscle forwards into uncompromising positions. Defensively, Conrad already has shades of a pro game. His skating needs work, but his puck movement is clean and safe. More opportunity higher up the lineup and on the PP could help his offence this season. Advertisement 'I want to prove people wrong for not drafting me in the first place. I want to prove I'm a good player, but I'm not going to be someone I'm not,' Conrad said. I wonder if the Leafs see enough to re-engage with him at next year's draft. For all the talk about 2025 third-round draft pick Tyler Hopkins being a defensive stalwart, his playmaking caught my eye. He's not afraid to send passes that are equal parts decisive and creative. Hopkins knows there's pressure on him to up his offensive output with the Kingston Frontenacs this season. Top line and first power-play unit minutes should see him push 50 assists next year. After being drafted in the fourth round by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2023, 6-foot-3 forward Alex Pharand went unsigned. His playmaking skills turned him into a near-point-per-game player with the Sudbury Wolves this season, earning the 20-year-old a Leafs development camp invite. And I'd pencil him in for an AHL contract this offseason: Pharand was a feisty skater with a noticeable motor. He moves well for a big man and shows intelligence off the puck. Pharand constantly gets his stick in the right positions. He has confidence in his game. See Exhibit A: Hey @OHLHockey you might want to file this one as "Goal of the Year" 😉 — Sudbury Wolves (@Sudbury_Wolves) January 8, 2023 Count him as a possible project, with the long-term possibility of becoming a player who can produce regularly at the pro level. The Leafs' skating consultants should put some time aside for 2025 fifth-round pick Harry Nansi and 2024 seventh-round selection Nathan Mayes. Both are obvious competitors who want to throw hits. But both players' skating stride, mechanics and quickness all require serious improvement. (Top photo of Rhett Parsons and Matthew Hlacar fighting: R.J. Johnston / Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Toronto Sun
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Maple Leafs prospect Ben Danford happy to have Chris Tanev as guide
Ben Danford is selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the 31st overall pick during the first round of the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft. Photo by Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Chris Tanev's defensive ways are rubbing off on Ben Danford. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Maple Leafs' first-round pick in 2024, Danford has been training at the Leafs' facility at the Ford Performance Centre and has been taking mental notes whenever Tanev is around. 'He has been phenomenal,' Danford said on Thursday. 'I've looked up to him for quite a few years now. I feel like that's someone that I can really learn off, and someone that hopefully someday I'm even close to what he is in the NHL. He's just a rock-solid defenceman.' After the Leafs picked Danford 31st overall a year ago, he returned to the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League and was named captain in October. The 19-year-old Belleville native had a strong season and in the annual OHL coaches poll, was voted best defensive defenceman and best shot blocker in the Eastern Conference. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Ben has just continued to improve,' said Leafs assistant general manager, player development, Hayley Wickenheiser. 'The thing I've noticed is his game is starting to calm down. He's a great skater. He moves as well as anyone on the ice here. 'Sometimes he tries to do too much when he plays in the OHL with Oshawa, and we've been talking to him a lot about taking the time to play calm, getting inside lanes, to block shots. 'He spent a little bit of time with Tanev this summer already, and I think that's a big influence on him.' Danford will continue to soak it all in once development camp is done. 'You see guys in the gym at the NHL level, or even on the ice, how powerful they are,' Danford said. 'The way they can move and how strong they are on pucks. That's a really big eye opener. I feel like that's something that I can really get better at.' Meanwhile, Tinus-Luc Koblar, the Leafs' second-round pick this year, poured cold water on the idea he will play in the OHL next season. Koblar was picked by the Brampton Steelheads in the Canadian Hockey League import draft on Wednesday. 'I don't think so,' Koblar said. 'I think I'm staying in Sweden and playing there (with Leksand).' tkoshan@ X: @koshtorontosun Read More World Editorial Cartoons Toronto & GTA Movies Toronto Raptors
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
With Leafs trying to improve in-house, development camp is vital
The Maple Leafs most recent draft class is going right to school. All six picks from Saturday will be among 48 players invited to the Ford Centre this week starting Wednesday for the club's annual development camp. Among the 29 forwards, 15 defencemen and four goaltenders are 17 draft picks in all, seven from 2024 including first -round defenceman Ben Danford of the Oshawa Generals. The newest picks are Slovenian-Norwegian Tinus-Luc Koblar, Chinese-born William Belle and four OHLers, Tyler Hopkins, Harry Nansi, Matthew Hlacar and the lone defenceman of the six pack, Ryan Fellinger. All are between 6-foot-1 and 6-4. From the 2023 draft is the highly regarded London Knights winger Easton Cowan, hoping to use his third devo camp as a springboard to a strong prospects tournament in Montreal to the main camp in September. Mississauga-born winger Nicholas Moldenhauer, a 5-11, third rounder from 2022 who has been two years at the University of Michigan is also participating. The rest are young AHL Marlies and free agent invites overlooked in the draft last weekend. Guests from overseas are Russian goalie Semyon Konopsky, forward Alexander Plesovskikh and Latvian Martins Lavins. Assistant general manager of player development Hailey Wickenheiser and her staff will oversee the camp, beginning with Wednesday medicals and three days on ice. Lhornby@ X: @sunhornby Maple Leafs, Mitch Marner saga on the verge of coming to a conclusion Maple Leafs make intriguing move with trade for Matias Maccelli
Toronto Sun
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
How does life change after your name is called at NHL Draft: A breakdown
The whirlwind that occurs after a player is selected in the NHL Draft ahead of this year's selections, starting Friday in L.A. Ben Danford, bottom right, heads to the podium after being selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. AP Photo The National Hockey League entry draft always is an educated gamble for franchises looking to expand their prospect pools, as well as an important career checkpoint for players who intend to go pro. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account It also has been seen as the league's well-attended annual conference, but this draft, to be held Friday and Saturday at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, will be different. Instead of teams sending the usual complement of about 20 scouts, coaches and support staff, some organizations will be represented by as few as two people; one each from their communications and player development departments. The remainder of each staff will monitor and participate in the draft from their own markets, following in the footsteps of the National Football League, National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. The NHL was forced into this decentralized format by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fresh off that experience, team executives voted 26-6 to return to a decentralized event in 2025, citing cost savings and augmented privacy surrounding their hockey operations. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. However, the excitement generated by the glitzy 2024 centralized event, held in the Sphere in Las Vegas, apparently has given some executives second thoughts and the 2025 draft may be an outlier, rather than a trendsetter. What happens after a player hears his name called? 'Prospects will be seated in the Peacock Theatre similar to the way they were situated last year in the Sphere,' NHL senior manager of event communications Dave Keon Jr. said in an email. 'Once they are selected, they will walk to the stage and meet the commissioner as in the past. 'After that, they will meet the team that selected them virtually as well as do rights-holder interviews backstage. Once the prospect is finished with the rights-holders, he will head to the media avail with media on site. The PR staff from the team may also make the prospect available to media not in attendance via Zoom.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Back in the day, public relations director Bill Tuele was the first point of contact for Edmonton Oilers draft picks. 'We had 10 or 12 jerseys under the table and a box full of name bars with sticky backs, most of whom would never be drafted, at least not by us, but you had to have them in case strange things happened,' Tuele said. '(Chief scout Barry Fraser or GM Glen Sather) would tell me who was going to be drafted and I would ask him the obvious question: 'is he here?' Barry would say 'yeah he's here,' and there would be this surreptitious pointing to where he was so I could pre-identify where I had to go to get him. 'Once (commissioner Gary Bettman) or whomever announced the pick, the kid would go through the normal family stuff and walk down to the floor. I would introduce myself, say congratulations, take his jacket, and we would walk toward the podium on the stage, at which point I would give either Barry or Slats the sweater. The player puts on the sweater and hat, poses for the NHL (photographer) and our guy, and then the photogs would have to scurry, because instead of walking off to do a brief interview with (TSN's) James Duthie or whoever, they didn't have that in my day. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We had to go into what they called the tunnel to go through this extraordinary experience. They would do a portrait with our guy, then the NHL photog, then there would be a dozen photo booths with hockey card companies. The major ones were O Pee Chee, Upper Deck and Topps but there were all sorts of others. They would invariably be asked for a pose that didn't make sense, put the hockey stick on your shoulders, that kind of thing. That would generally take 20 to 25 minutes. 'Then we would walk into the (media) scrum. He would finish that, his family and friends would be waiting in the next area. There would be lots of congratulations, hugging and kissing. Then I would take the kid to the draft table and introduce him to every single person, which was hilarious because he wouldn't remember anyone. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'From there, he would go to our suite. Every team would have a suite or box with refreshments. There would be (Oilers employees) in the box. They could watch the rest of the draft there with or without their families. After that, there was little contact for the rest of that day. 'But after the draft, the Oilers always had a (social) function and it was usually on a boat.' How much contact does a drafted player have with the team from that point? Many of the players chosen on the weekend will attend player development camps almost immediately and Nashville's plan is pretty typical. The Predators' camp runs June 29 to July 5 and opens with physicals and a team dinner. The first on-ice sessions go the following day and all sessions are open to the public. The camp culminates in an intra-squad game. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The purpose of the camp is to educate and direct players in their pro development and conditioning programs,' according to the team website. 'The training itinerary features a variety of on- and off-ice testing, dry-land activities and workouts, on-ice fundamentals work, video sessions, media and nutrition education and team-building activities. 'The prospects will also receive instruction on training principles such as sport-specific power and strength enhancement, flexibility and off-ice conditioning.' Bill Guerin was drafted fifth overall by New Jersey in 1989, a time when there was little contact with the team after the weekend. 'There were no player development guys back then,' said Guerin, now the GM of Minnesota. 'So I say I'm going to Boston College, they're like, 'OK, great.' I don't hear from them for two years. You know, I'm sure they were watching me, but they weren't sticking around after the game to say hi. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'After the last game of my sophomore year, we went out and partied. I woke up Sunday morning because our dorm room phone rang and it was (Devils GM) Lou Lamoriello. I thought somebody was joking. I thought you know, crank calling me. But it was Lou. He said we want to bring you to New Jersey and talk about you turning pro. 'So that's just kind of the way it was. They left me alone, and I think they were just watching me from afar, but there wasn't the type of hands-on stuff that we do today.' What are the financial rewards of being drafted? That obviously depends on draft position, as the top players will have a good argument to sign for the maximum contract allowed by the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NHL Players Association. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. For 2025, a high first-rounder looking to turn pro immediately could sign a three-year, entry-level contract with an average annual value of $975,000 US. The signing bonus can't exceed 10% of the contract value and the performance bonuses can't exceed $3.5-million annually. How many rounds are there and how many players will be chosen by each of the 32 teams? It's a seven-round draft, meaning 224 players will be selected — the first 32 on Friday night, the remainder on Saturday afternoon and evening. The New York Islanders currently hold the No. 1 pick and GM Mathieu Darche has said more than once that he intends to hold onto it. San Jose holds the No. 2 selection. The Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers currently own the 224th and final selection. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Colorado Avalanche have the fewest picks with just two, followed by St. Louis with three, Edmonton and Minnesota each with four. The Montreal Canadiens have the most picks at 12, while the Pittsburgh Penguins currently hold 11. The NHL will bring in the top 50 prospects, as determined by the final Central Scouting rankings. About 20 of them are scheduled to walk the red carpet prior to the first round on Friday. All other prospects are welcome to attend the event. William Horcoff, the 24th-ranked North American skater according to Central Scouting, will be on hand, along with several members of his family, including his father Shawn, who was a fourth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 1998 and now assistant GM with the Detroit Red Wings. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'You know, it's funny because I tell my son the draft is great, but it really doesn't mean anything,' Shawn Horcoff said. 'It's hard to say that to a kid, right? But it's the truth because it doesn't matter where you get drafted, the work is just beginning. Having played and now working in it, you realize that it takes time to make it to the NHL, it takes time to develop once you get there and really become the player that you want to be. 'The draft is definitely the start and it's exciting, but by no means are there any guarantees with it.' Who will be the first overall pick? The consensus No. 1 choice is Erie Otters defenceman Matthew Schaefer, followed by Saginaw Spirit centre Michael Misa. They are listed as the top two players in the final Central Scouting rankings. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Defenceman Matthew Schaefer, right, and forward Michael Misa, NHL Central Scouting's top two North American draft prospects, share the podium to address reporters at the league's annual combine at Buffalo's downtown Harborcenter facility, Friday, June 6, 2025. Photo by John Wawrow / AP Photo Scouts watch games in person and online and file player reports all year long. In-house experts on mental performance, strength and conditioning, and skating contribute opinions. Information also is gathered from physical testing and player interviews at the pre-draft combine. 'There was some sort of combine (in 1998), but it was not even close to the same as it is now,' Horcoff recalled. 'Everyone got together at a hotel at the Toronto airport. I do remember doing interviews with teams, but I don't think I did any testing. There was Boston and New Jersey, and I think it was seven teams. 'Now you get 20 minutes per player. I do remember mine being a little bit longer back then. You do get a sense of what kind of people they are. And you can take a look at their build, but it's hard to really gain too much in 20 minutes.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Back in the day, teams would invite prospects to their respective markets for in-person interviews in the weeks leading up to the draft. Eventually, teams started conducting those interviews in the draft city. 'Some of the clubs were ahead of others and would interview 25 guys, let's say, but key in on the five guys on either side of where their draft pick was,' long-time scout Archie Henderson said. 'We would ask a kid to tell a joke early in the interview. Any joke, didn't matter, just to kind of relax the kids because in those days a lot of the kids were not really prepped. 'As time went on, the kids became more and more polished because agents would prep them for those interviews. So you'd ask a kid a question and 20 teams would have already been interviewing him. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'They did not have a scouting combine per se where they were testing kids. A lot of that was done by bringing those 10 or 12 kids into your own city. The GM would get an opportunity to take each one of them out for dinner or lunch or whatever, get to know them. At the scouting combine now, kids go in and they're doing all kinds of testing. It's a totally different world now.' Each scouting staff will hold final draft meetings in the days leading up to the event and generate prioritized lists. Central Scouting also publishes its final rankings. Guerin said he hands responsibility for the draft to his director of amateur scouting Judd Brackett. 'I trust my guys. Judd Brackett is a really smart guy. He knows what he's doing. He's a professional. He's an expert in that field. I am not. So I listen to him. That's his day. We go by what he says on that day,' Guerin said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I'll give you an example. Last year we traded up to get Zeev Buium, who we took at number 12. He fell quite a bit in the draft and when he got to 12, Judd Brackett said 'Billy, call Philly right now and offer them our third to move up one spot.' I'm like, really? He goes, yes. And I said OK. 'And we did it. And that's how we got Buium. That's just kind of how I operate.' How have drafts changed over the years? The draft was first held in 1963, when it was called the Amateur Draft, and has been staged 62 times; 51 of them in June, five in July, two each in May and April, one in August and one in October, the latter because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It began as a telephone draft that would go on until the last team passed. In 1974, the Washington Capitals drafted an NHL-record 25 players. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The draft became a one-day, in-person marathon with as many as 12 rounds, then dropped to 11 then nine and finally went to seven in 2005. It has been a two-day affair every year since 2007. 'The NHL draft has been an extremely exciting time for hockey players getting an opportunity to live out their dream,' said Henderson, who was drafted in the 10th round by Washington in 1977. 'Most of them never (play), but it's the dream.' Generally speaking, between 40% and 50% of drafted players each year wind up eventually playing at least one game in the NHL. 'I can tell you there were years where I sat at a draft table — not in charge of a draft, but very involved in a draft — where we would get to the final round and there would be kids sitting with their mom and dad and their agent who had promised the kid that he would be drafted and we'd get into the last round, and that kid would be sobbing,' Henderson said. 'And I would see scouts go up, make sure they knew who the kid was, come back and draft the kid. I never did that, nor did any of the teams that I was on do that, but I saw that happen. Now, as a sympathy draft, you can think whatever you want, that would have made that kid's day. 'I always thought the other way. What about the kid who was at work that night in the bakery and didn't get drafted? That was one of the things that always bothered me. But there are still, or were, kids who leave those arenas undrafted. And that's got to be devastating.' dbarnes@ Toronto Raptors Sunshine Girls Celebrity Canada Sunshine Girls
Toronto Sun
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Depth in picks won't necessarily turn into draft gold for Maple Leafs
Toronto has six picks in next week's draft with the earliest coming at No. 64 overall. Get the latest from Terry Koshan straight to your inbox Ben Danford is selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the 31st overall pick during the first round of the 2024 NHL draft. Getty Images Dig into that draft depth, Maple Leafs. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Currently with no selection in the 2025 National Hockey League draft until the last pick of the second round, Leafs amateur scouting director Mark Leach and his staff will have to bide their time next weekend. Barring trades by general manager Brad Treliving, the Leafs are about to embark on a run of three consecutive drafts without a first-round choice. Consider that since 2011, there have been only three drafts that the Leafs didn't announce the name of a prospect in the first round. In 2022, Toronto picked Fraser Minten with their first selection at No. 38; in 2021, Matthew Knies was snagged at No. 57 and, in 2019, Nick Robertson was taken at No. 53. There might be a good prospect available when the Leafs make their first choice at No. 64. Whether they get it right, we're not going to know for several years. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As for organizational needs, they're not really applicable without a first-round pick. Taking the best player available (as deemed by you and your staff) would be the most prudent route. With this in mind, we take a look forward and a glance back to see where the Leafs stand heading into the draft. WHERE DO THE LEAFS PICK? The final order of the draft was set once the Stanley Cup final between the victorious Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers finished on Tuesday night. The Leafs will have six picks: Nos. 64, 86 (third round), 137 and 153 (fifth round), 185 (sixth round) and 217 (seventh round). The Leafs have known for a while they weren't going to have a first-round pick this year, going back to the Kyle Dubas era. In February 2023, in the trade with the Chicago Blackhawks in which defenceman Jake McCabe was the centrepiece coming to Toronto, a conditional first-round pick in 2025 was sent to the Blackhawks. The pick was top-10 protected and when the Leafs qualified for the playoffs early in April, it became Chicago's selection. It's going to be the 25th pick overall. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The choice at 64th came via the Panthers in a swap of picks between the teams last June. Originally, the Leafs would have had the 57th pick. Now owned by Seattle, the pick has changed teams several times since the Leafs traded a conditional pick to Arizona in February 2022 in a deal that brought defenceman Ilya Lyubushkin to Toronto. The Coyotes had a choice between the Leafs' third-round pick in 2023 or the second-round pick in '25 and went with the latter before trading it (now in Utah) to Tampa Bay. The 86th pick was acquired in the trade last October that sent defenceman Timothy Liljegren to San Jose. The Leafs would have had the 89th pick, but traded it to Anaheim (which then sent it to the New York Rangers in the Chris Kreider trade last week) in a February 2024 swap for forward Kirill Slepets. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Leafs' fourth-round pick, which would have been 121st, went to the Minnesota Wild in a three-team trade (including the St. Louis Blues) in February 2023 that saw forwards Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari land in Toronto. The 137th pick was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in March for forward Connor Dewar and defenceman Conor Timmins. The 153rd pick is the Leafs' own, as are the 185th and 217th picks. WHAT IS THE LEAFS' HISTORY WITH LATER PICKS? If you have your hopes high for the potential for the Leafs to find greatness in what picks they have, you might want to temper them. The fact is, it really does become a crapshoot the deeper the draft gets and there's no player that will be a slam-dunk blue-chipper by the time Toronto gets to No. 64. He might become that, but he won't be of that ilk next Saturday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Leafs have chosen 64th four previous times and got it right once: In 1994, forward Frederik Modin was snapped up by Toronto and played three seasons with the Leafs before he went on to better things in the NHL, winning the Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004. Modin played in 898 NHL games with six teams. More recently, the Leafs chose defenceman Topi Niemela at 64 in 2020. He doesn't factor in Toronto's future. Perhaps that would have been different had Dubas still been in charge. The best showing the Leafs have in the three times they have had the 86th choice came in 2011, when they took Sudbury Wolves winger Josh Leivo. He scored 42 goals in 265 NHL games with five teams and is coming off a 49-goal season with Ufa of the KHL. The 64th and 86th picks haven't borne much NHL fruit in the past 25 years. Since 2000, three players taken 64th — forward Vincent Trocheck (Florida , 2011), defenceman Tyson Barrie (Colorado, 2009) and goalie Jimmy Howard (Detroit, 2003) — made an impact in the NHL. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. At 86, you're looking at defenceman Colton Parayko (St. Louis, 2012) and not much else. Regarding the later rounds, you can count on two hands the number of players the Leafs have taken since 2000 that made a dent with the team. We don't include the most recent drafts in that thinking, as those players remain in the developmental stages. From 2000 to 2018, the Leafs had 63 picks beyond 137th overall. The best recent example would be forward Pontus Holmberg, chosen 156th in 2018. Read More You also have forward Pierre Engvall (188th, 2014); forward Andreas Johnsson (202nd, 2013); goalie Garret Sparks (190th, 2011); forward Connor Brown (156th, 2012); defenceman Carl Gunnarsson (189th, 2007); forward Leo Komarov (180th, 2006); defenceman Anton Stralman (216th, 2005) and defenceman Ian White (191st, 2002). With respect to each one, it's not a bunch of difference-making all-stars, is it? The best outlier in Leafs history would be defenceman Tomas Kaberle, chosen 204th in 1996. We'll be curious to see what comes of the six-pack of picks that the Leafs own, provided no further trades are made. We do know that we won't be able to say whether Leach and his staff was right or wrong on any of them for years to come. tkoshan@ X: @koshtorontosun MMA NHL Canada Toronto & GTA World
