It was safe to say that the Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t have the draft capital needed to make a big impact in the 2023 NHL Draft. With one first round pick and two late round selections, it was hard for them to do anything.
The Maple Leafs did attempt to try and trade down but the other teams weren’t willing to make any moves considering how deep the draft was in the first few rounds. So, they kept their picks and made do with what they had.
It’s difficult to do anything with only three picks, but the Maple Leafs did. Instead of going for upside and best available, they made some swings for prospects that could ultimately provide some upside down the line. Here is the recap of the Maple Leafs three picks at the 2023 NHL Draft.
Round 1, 28th overall: Easton Cowan, C, London Knights (OHL)
While there was some head scratching in the beginning, there was a big reason why the Maple Leafs ended up taking Cowan with their first-round pick. The first being the inability to trade down. The second being that a number of teams after the Maple Leafs had him high on their list as well. So, the Maple Leafs took him.
Even though he may not have the highest upside, he has a lot of qualities and tools that could make him impactful at the next level. As the season progressed, director of amateur scouting for the Maple Leafs, Wes Clark, became impressed with Cowan’s skillset and qualities.
“Big engine, big motor, relentless,” Clark listed about Cowan. “Really strong intelligence on and off the puck.”
Cowan is a very tenacious and highly skilled playmaker with a “hounding mentality” as he describes. He may be small, but he powers through opponents with his skating, IQ and creativity. He has high motor as he’s always aggressive in hunting down the puck and disrupting plays on the backcheck. He has the killer instinct that allows him to apply pressure and force the opposition to make a mistake with his relentless pursuit of the puck. He has great speed, edge work in tight corners and strong hands that makes him difficult to contain.
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The Maple Leafs are betting big on Cowan to continue with his development as he has a lot of strong qualities early on. Cowan even attributed his play in the playoffs as a big reason why teams– especially the Maple Leafs– were high on him. It may’ve been a reach, but it could be that he has a strong upside with his work ethic and overall skillset.
Round 5, 153rd overall: Hudson Malinoski, C, Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
The Alberta Junior Hockey League has done a great job to produce some quality NHL talent. Cale Makar, Dylan Holloway and Rieger Lorentz are all just a few names to have played in this league in order to get drafted. Hudson Malinoski could be another name to remember.
At 6-foot-1, 174 pounds, Malinoski is another creative and dangerous playmaker as he finished with 53 assists last season with the Bandits. He excels at finding teammates effortlessly with his vision and awareness. He has tremendous speed and a smooth stride to carry the play through the neutral zone and even get in quickly on the attack to establish a forecheck. But he’s more than just that as he’s a very underrated shooter, with great power and velocity. As his shot continues to develop, Malinoski attributes it to watching Auston Matthews as a result.
He’s extremely deceptive with the puck and is a very versatile threat when in the offensive zone. He also had a standout performance for Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge with seven points in six games. While he has a lot of strengths that standout, Malinoski knows the work isn’t done yet. He’s committed to Providence College next season and will continue with his development as he has great potential.
“I think I have a lot of work to do,” Malinoski said. “You got to be training every day in the gym, on the ice and just get my game to another level.”
Malinoski is no stranger to adversity as he overcame serious injury to repair a torn vertebral artery in his neck years ago. He has an opportunity to continue living out his hockey dream with the Maple Leafs as they were impressed with his season. (from, ‘Maple Leafs draft pick Hudson Malinoski thriving after rare, delicate surgery’, Toronto Sun – 6/29/23)
Round 6, 185th overall: Noah Chadwick, D, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)
This could be a very underrated selection as a late round pick. Despite what his numbers suggest as he had 20 points this season with the Hurricanes, there’s a lot of offensive upside with Noah Chadwick. This was his first full season in the Western Hockey League after all and the potential is there.
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Chadwick has shown he’s strong in transition and exiting his own zone, defends well on the entry, keeping opponents to the outside and attacking with force. He has great patience to spot his teammates for a pass and even generate a point shot for second or third opportunities. He knows when to join the rush and fall back to remain as a shooting option.
He’s got a great follow through with his shot and one-timer that could be a strength. He moves extremely well for his size at 6-foot-4, 187 pounds with a long stride and smooth edges, something that stood out for Clark. “He’s long, he can move the puck,” Clark said about Chadwick. “Another upside guy that we can see what he can do there in Lethbridge and checks a lot of boxes for us.”
There have been valuable defensemen that have been found in later rounds in the draft. A good example is Ronan Seeley who drafted 208th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2020. Could Chadwick be another late round defender that possesses a strong two-way game for the Maple Leafs? Only time will tell.
With the picks that the Maple Leafs made, they definitely went for players that started to show promise and that can have great potential if developed properly. Cowan, Malinoski and Chadwick all bring a blend of speed, smarts, IQ and work ethic. Drafting Fraser Mitnen in 2022 and Ty Voit in 2021, it’s possible that these names could pop off at any point and improve their stock as prospects. The Maple Leafs are banking on them improving and developing as potential key pieces for the future.
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