Toronto Maple Leafs: Dubas looking to one-up 2015 in first draft as GM
By Austin Owens
If 2015 is any indication, Kyle Dubas will be working the phones hard to land the best talent available for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2018 NHL Draft
The era of Kyle Dubas has been alive and well for just over a month. The newly minted Toronto Maple Leafs general manager will have his eyes firmly focused on the Calder Cup Finals in which the Marlies — a team built by Dubas — have a chance to capture their first championship on Thursday.
Following Game 7, the hockey season will be over. It is at that point when all eyes will turn to Dallas and the 2018 NHL Draft.
It is there that Dubas will shape the future of the Leafs’ system. But he will have to do it without Mark Hunter, who was the man in charge of the draft for the Leafs of old. Hunter, of course, parted ways with the organization at the end of May.
So what will the Maple Leafs’ draft look like this time around? Will the team draft for skill? Or revert to their last couple of drafts? It’s pretty safe to say that under Dubas, the former is the likely plan.
It’s been well documented that during the 2015 draft, Dubas — who was serving as the interim general manager — was the man who worked the phones and got the Leafs a few extra picks in the draft.
Dubas had an extra pick in the back-end of the first round. He traded the 24th overall pick for the 29th and 61st overall selection. Dubas then moved the 29th pick to Columbus, for the 34th and 68th selections.
With those picks, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Travis Dermott (34th), Jeremy Bracco (61st) and Martins Dzierkals (68th).
Dubas and the Leafs weren’t done there, however. They grabbed Andrew Nielsen with their own third rounder, drafted Jesper Lindgren in the fourth round, and took reigning QMJHL Rookie of the Year Dmytro Timashov in the fifth round.
The class of 2015 has turned into some of the most pivotal pieces in the organization. Timashov, Dermott and Nielsen were all contributors to the Marlies’ success this season, while Bracco and Dzierkals made their respective pro debuts this year.
The Leafs now sit with the 25th overall pick in the draft and several options on the table. They could choose to hold onto their pick and select a player to add to their system depth, or they could repeat their 2015 decision and trade back for a few picks.
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Speculation has started to rise about a possible fit with the Leafs and Canadiens. Montreal has four picks in the second round. They could (and should) be looking to package a couple of those picks to land another selection in the first round.
Some have even gone as far as to suggest the Leafs could land the 35th and 38th pick in exchange for the 25th pick. Is that deal likely? It’s hard to say.
If Toronto does move back in the draft, there will be a heap of solid options available. The team’s two biggest needs are defence and centres. They have more than enough wingers, and after this season, a surprising amount of depth in the crease.
At centre, there are the likes of Swede Filip Hållander, Allan McShane and junior A standout Jack McBain. All three prospects are special talents who are slated to just miss out on the first round.
Scott Wheeler of The Athletic caught up with Hållander at the NHL Combine, where the centre spoke about meeting with teams after his workout:
Filip Hallander says he met with Leafs at combine. His first interview. Admits he was pretty nervous. A fav of mine.
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) June 2, 2018
While the Leafs likely spoke with the majority of players, it’s not a secret that they love their Swedish players.
On defence, the likes of Nils Lundkvist, Jacob Bernard-Docker and Johnny Tychonick could all slip into the second round as well.
Dubas said previously that he will be selecting players the organization deems as the best available. He knows that asset management is important in these situations.
He already acquired a conditional seventh-rounder in 2020 from Edmonton for Nolan Vesey, who, from all reports, was headed to free agency this summer.
The 2018 draft class looks to be stronger than the crop from 2017. The Leafs have lost the “draft guru” Hunter, but look like they are going to land some exciting talents with their picks.
Next: Could Matt Martin be heading back to the Islanders?
What do you think the Leafs will do on Day 1 of the draft? Which players would you like to see them select? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!