The 2024 NHL Entry Draft has come and gone and the Toronto Maple Leafs added a number of players to their organization. A total of eight prospects were selected over the two days at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
Last year, they managed to take a swing on three prospects; Easton Cowan, Hudson Malinoski and Noah Chadwick, with Cowan and Chadwick taking big strides with their development this season. Now a new class emerges with the hopes of the Maple Leafs finding other hidden gems that could potentially pay off down the line.
The Maple Leafs scouting department has shown that they can find value, it’ll take some time to see how this class shapes up, but there is potential with the eight picks selected. Here are the new members of the Maple Leafs.
Round 1, 31st Overall: Ben Danford, RD, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
The Maple Leafs first-round pick may be a reach on the surface, but the potential and upside that Danford has is clearly evident. His production may not jump off the page, but the work ethic and defensive presence is evident when you see him play. He’s sound positionally, can play with an edge and started to show signs of progress and potential during the second half of the season.
Danford attributed his head coach with the Oshawa Generals, Derek Laxdal, to help reach his potential.
“Just feeding off my coaches,” Danford said. “My head coach [Derek] Laxdal, he has experience in the NHL so he knows what it takes and kind of maybe opened my eyes a little bit of what I’m going to be at the next level.”
Maple Leafs director of amateur scouting Wes Clark spoke highly of what he brought to the table and was the target all along.
“Elite intangibles, excellent defenseman,” Clark said of Danford. “Just kind of checks all the boxes that we were looking for. The upside I think is sky high.”
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That kind of selection should bode well for the Maple Leafs as he has the work ethic and compete level to make a difference within his own end. While his offensive numbers don’t show it, Clark said that his offensive instincts stood out when they were looking at him in his first season with the Generals. The potential is definitely there for Danford.
Round 4, 120th Overall: Victor Johansson, LD, Leksands IF J20 (Nationell)
This seemed like an off the board pick, given that names like Aron Kiviharju and Hagen Burrows were still available. There really isn’t a whole lot on Johansson, except that he’s a very mobile and two-way defender. While it was a surprise, there was a reason behind selecting him. Something the Maple Leafs have done in the past.
“What we like most about Victor is that he’s very early in his development curve,” Clark said of the Swedish defenseman. “Strong intelligence, strong competitiveness and excellent defensive instincts. I think there’s a lot of room to grow there.”
At 6-foot-1, 143 pounds, Johansson is showing promise early on with his game as he is a well-rounded prospect. He registered eight points in 34 games at the J20 level and if he’s able to take the next step and add some muscle, the Maple Leafs could have another defender on the left side with size, skill and smarts.
Fifth Round Shows Upside, Long Term Projects
The fifth-round for the Maple Leafs showed a combination of skill and competitive drive, but they will be long-term projects in their development. He was 151st overall, selecting Miroslav Holinka from HC Oceláři Třinec of the Czechia U20 league.
“High intelligence and he can zip the puck,” Clark said. “Good shooter, really good shooter.”
Holinka scored 41 points in 29 games and added another three in 16 games in the Czechia league. Holinka possesses a strong work ethic on both sides of the puck, being a very creative playmaker. He has swift hands in tight spaces, being able to quickly pull off moves around opposing players with ease. Already with some pro experience under his belt that should bode well for him in his development.
Drafted 152nd overall, left winger Alexander Plesovskikh played for MHK Spartak Moskva of the MHL registering 17 points in 33 games. He’s a big body at 6-foot-2, 174 pounds and really likes to be a thorn in the opposition’s side with a gritty and tenacious style of play.
“One of our Russian scouts, Olegs– who is one of our top scouts– was extremely passionate for him,” Clark explained. “Two-way game, competitive, knows where the puck is, knows where his teammates are.”
Most likely another depth piece, but if Plesovskikh can develop well, he could very well be an underrated name in the system given the intensity he can play with. He can quickly close gaps and not give the opposition any space to work with as he will constantly engage and battle for the puck. He has great size and always on the attack and forecheck.
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At 157th overall, the Maple Leafs selected another goaltender in Timofei Obvintsev out of Krasnaya Armiya Moskva. Obvintsev went 7-7-0 with a .921 save percentage and 2.96 goals against average in 16 games last season. He’s very sound in the crease, has strong lateral movements and puck tracking. The Maple Leafs have seen results from goalies drafted out of Russia. He could be another one.
Round 7 Brings Physicality
If there’s going to be a common theme here, it’s that the Maple Leafs went for size, physicality and the ability to move the puck out effectively.
“Really strong defensively, very physical,” Clark said of Lahey’s game who the Maple Leafs selected 200th overall. With the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL, Lahey had 19 points in 54 games. He excels at closing gaps effectively and can break up plays very well with his positioning and timing. Lahey even described himself as a player who can be relied on in any situation while still being a puck-moving defender.
At 216th overall, the Maple Leafs selected Owen Sound Attack forward Sam McCue. McCue’s a physical and powerful force every time he steps on the ice. Clark said that he has that edge to his game, making him a tough opponent to go up against. He had 23 goals last season and is constantly battling, laying everything on the line and being a gritty player.
The final pick of the day was Spokane Chiefs defender Nathan Mayes, another player that plays that mean, physical style of play. He had 16 points in 68 games last season, but he imposes his will every time he’s on the ice.
While there weren’t many names that jumped off the page, the Maple Leafs are betting on finding talent late in the draft as there are players with great potential and upside. It has worked out for them in the past and that is the case with the 2024 class.
