- Maple Leafs Draft Review 1998 – The Rise of the Twin Towers:
The Maple Leafs have built a reputation as being mere spectators on draft day due to their past propensity to surrender draft picks by way of trade to benefit current welfare. While the Maple Leafs made only one selection in the first three rounds of the 1997 entry draft (one relinquished draft pick was, of course, Roberto Luongo), they were well-equipped in the 1998 draft and stepped up to the draft podium 6 times in the first 6 rounds… read more.
- Maple Leafs Draft Review 1999 – Luca Freakin’ Cereda
In 1999 the Maple Leafs were not short-handed in terms of number of picks, making 8 selections in the first 8 rounds of drafting, but those seven players appeared in a total of 3 NHL contests. It must be noted, however, that the ‘99 draft as a whole was dismal. Patrik Stefan at first overall only got the ball rolling on a slew of unexceptional draft choices who never lived up to expectations. From my perspective, only Daniel and Henrik Sedin (2nd and 3rd overall), Nick Boynton (21st overall) and Martin Havlat (26th overall) provided decent investment returns to their respective teams… read more.
- Maple Leafs Draft Review 2000 – Y2K Draft
The names Jason Smith, Steve Sullivan, and Brad Boyes come to mind when you think of young players the Maple Leafs relinquished before they had the opportunity to properly develop. The Maple Leafs instead invested their focus, faith, money and patience in their cherished veteran core. Its this line of thinking that has contributed greatly to the Maple Leafs’ current plight; with long-term thinking playing a definite second fiddle to present well-being. While it must be noted that Boyes served as trade fodder for the both the Sharks and Bruins after the Owen Nolan deal in 02/03, the Maple Leafs’ 2000 draft will remembered for a great late-first round draft pick that was surrendered far too prematurely… read more.
- Maple Leafs Draft Review 2001 – Warm Up the Ambulance
Hockey is a physical sport and injuries are an unfortunate sidebar as a result. But, as I write up these draft reviews, the more it occurs to me that Maple Leafs’ draft hopefuls seem inordinately hoodooed. In particular, their higher-round picks… those in which the organization invests much of their faith. First with 2nd rounder Petr Svoboda in ‘98, who looked on track before he began feeling the ill-effects of a chronic fatigue illness which only several years later could be properly diagnosed and medicated. Then with Luca Cereda, a first-rounder who’s career was derailed by a faulty heart valve. Surgery wiped out the Swiss youngster’s final year of junior eligibility, in which he planned to cross the pond to play for Brian Kilrea’s Ottawa 67’s. Jeff Farkas, drafted 57th overall in the ‘98 draft, suffered a freak spine injury before he was set to graduate to the pros. Now we have one, perhaps two more members to add to the infirmary in the form of the Maple Leafs’ first and second round draft picks of the 2001 Entry Draft… read more.
- Maple Leafs Draft Review 2002 – Marked Improvement
If your conception of the past decade of Maple Leafs’ drafting is that of nightmarish miscues, the 2002 NHL Entry Draft is an exception to the rule. Had the ‘02 draft gone the way of many of the drafts before it, one can only cringe at the thought of the current state of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Its easy to see that the ‘01 and ‘02 drafts paid considerable dividend in composing any sort of long-term nucleus that exists in the current club. The nine ‘02 draftees average 92 NHL games played thus far… read more.
