Maple Leafs Interested in Mark Pysyk?
There has been much speculation that GM Brian Burke is working to acquire a 1st round pick in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft and now it’s time to add some more fuel to the fire. According to the Vancouver Sun, projected mid 1st round draft prospect Mark Pysyk of the Edmonton Oil Kings has held discussions with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, and Florida Panthers prior to the NHL’s scouting combine next month.
Pysyk currently plays the role of a minute-munching machine for the Oil Kings: killing penalties, shutting down opposing teams’ top lines, and even earns time on the team’s powerplay. Mark is currently projected 16th overall by ISS and 7th among North American Skaters by Central Scouting, which means he could expect his name to be called anywhere between picks 10-20 on draft day. The mere fact that the Leafs scouting team is putting this much effort into evaluating players that would seemingly be out of the team’s picking range seems to indicate that there is at least a reasonable chance that Burke will be able to lay his hands on a fairly high draft pick come next June.
