Despite all the draft speculation and rumours, the Toronto Maple Leafs did not end up drafting the NHL’s next possible superstar. In the weeks preceding the draft, GM Brian Burke threw all kinds of hints about moving up in the draft and bringing John Tavares to Toronto. Leafs Nation collectively held its breath, as the Buds haven’t had a true superstar on their squad in quite some time. The Leafs are notorious for picking players past their prime. While the Raptors usually have a difficult time bringing superstar talent to the city because of the climate and fans, there is no doubt that Toronto is the unofficial hockey capital of the world. The 2009 NHL Entry Draft, however, denied the Leafs a chance to build their squad around an exciting young prospect. Perhaps Burke preferred not to deal out Luke Schenn or make any other risky concessions and instead focus on his current agenda of beefing up the Leafs into genuine hard hitters.
The draft, held at Montreal’s Bell Centre, saw the selection of 119 forwards, 70 defencemen, and 21 goalies. The New York Islanders retained their first-round pick and scooped up John Tavares from the London Knights. This was no surprise, as the last-place Islanders desperately needed some scoring talent. Rebuilding a team is a difficult and intricate process, as Toronto has witnessed, and the Islanders played their cards wisely to firmly defend their pick. Who better to draft than the kid who broke OHL scoring records at the age of 16? It still remains to be seen whether Tavares will be another Sydney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin, but the six-foot centre’s talent cannot be denied. The clinic he put on at the 2009 World Junior Championships had all the scouts drooling.
Next on the list was Victor Hedman, the elite Swedish defenceman, who was selected second by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Hedman and Tavares were billed as equals in the draft race, and they represented the classic NHL draft conundrum: do you go for the flashy scorer or the super solid defenceman? NHL teams have had mixed results with their choices. Hedman was also part of a record seven Swedes who were drafted during the first round.
Other mentionable picks include Brampton Battalion’s Matt Duchene, who was taken third by the Colorado Avalanche, and Brayden Schenn, Luke Schenn’s brother, who was picked fifth by the Los Angeles Kings.
At number seven, the Leafs landed London, Ontario native and other London Knights star Nazem Kadri. Kadri scored an impressive 25 goals in 56 games for the Knights. It is unlikely that he will see ice time during the upcoming season, but the Leafs will definitely try to cultivate him into an aggressive, slashing centre to suit their gritty offensive plans. Interestingly, Kadri will be the first NHL player of Lebanese descent and only the second Muslim player.
The Leafs also picked right-winger Kenny Ryan at 50th overall, and defenceman Jesse Blacker at 58th overall. The Leafs are usually criticized for trading their picks and prospects for more seasoned players instead of developing them internally. Only the upcoming seasons will reveal what Burke has in store for these players, and how he will incorporate them into the Leafs’ painfully slow rebuilding process.
