Toronto Maple Leafs 2017 NHL Draft Preview: No. 3 Gabriel Vilardi
By Austin Owens
As the Toronto Maple Leafs and the rest of the NHL prepare for the draft, we look at Gabriel Vilardi, the big-bodied forward from the Windsor Spitfires.
The 2016 draft had several headlining players that controlled the main portion of the coverage in North America. This was particularly true north of the border, as the Toronto Maple Leafs and every other Canadian team failed to reach the playoffs.
This summer will be a different story. Further, there has been a lot of movement in the draft rankings over the course of the season.
On Wednesday, we looked at Nico Hischier. Today we turn to Gabriel Vilardi, who is currently projected to go third in this June’s NHL entry draft.
Gabriel Vilardi has had a solid career with the Windsor Spitfires, since he was taken second overall in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection.
His first season was underwhelming, with only 38 points in 62 games to show for his efforts. But he was also behind veterans centres Aaron Luchuk and 2016 first-rounder Logan Brown in the depth chart.
This season, Vilardi slid into a top-six role and saw immediate improvement. He stepped up his production and proved to be the best power forward in this draft class. He spent some time playing on the wing, but spent most of the season in his natural position at centre.
Vilardi played on a line with Brown and Luke Boka this season, and showed excellent creativity in the offensive zone, leading to a bevy of scoring chances. He finished the season as the top scorer for Windsor, with 61 points (29 goals, and 32 assists) in 49 games.
Mike Morreale wrote in a recent article for NHL.com, about how important Vilardi was to the Spitfires this season:
"“The enhanced stats tell us [Vilardi] is the engine on this team because whoever plays with him, their Corsi numbers go straight up and are increased,” [Windsor coach Rocky] Thompson said. “Without him, they drop significantly. We’ve had a ton of injuries this year so it’s been a revolving door with our lines but the one common theme has been Vilardi’s ability to make the players with him even better.”"
In the playoffs, Windsor was eliminated in seven games by the 2016 Memorial Cup Champion London Knights. Vilardi finished with six points, four of which were assists, and only four penalty minutes (Impressive considering how chippy the series was).
The season isn’t over for Vilardi and the Spits, as they will host the 2017 Memorial Cup (which starts on May 19), which grants them an automatic spot in the tournament.
In this final stretch of games, Vilardi will have a chance to make a strong impression on the scouts heading into the draft and solidify his position as a top prospect.
Next: Sorting through the Leafs' RFAs
What’s your take on Vilardi? Do you agree with the current projection that he will be drafted third overall? Further, what kind of career are you predicting for him in the NHL? Share your thoughts in the comments section.