The Leaf's BEST draft pick in the last 20 years...

[Holymakinaw]

Tuuka Rask?
Hard to argue with how good the guy is. We really blew it, by trading him away for Raydroft. One of the worst trades we EVER made.

Morgan Rielly?
Still too early to judge, probably. But the kid is obviously an elite young kid D-Man. When he gets a few years under his belt, he has a VERY VERY high ceiling. I've always thought that we'd never win a Cup until we had a Norris-type Defenceman on our team. Could Rielly be that guy?

Nazem Kadri?
Boatloads of talent, and he continues to impress. After a bit of a slow start to his NHL career, the 23 year old has been lights out since last season. He's got 50 points in his last 54 games!! And he's getting better.

Luke Schenn?
Probably not. But he's still young and is DEFINITELY the kind of shut-down guy you need to win Cups. Maybe he can still put it all together.

Thomas Kaberle?
Sure, he's done like Thanksgiving dinner NOW, but his numbers were pretty impressive, for a bunch of years. At the very least, he's gotta be one the very best late round picks we ever made.

Other?
What do YOU think, Leafer?

Click to read more...

 

[Jtabo]

That 2nd we traded for Bernier

 

[Patty Lee]

TK has easily accomplished the most at this point.

hard to compare 20 years to potential

 

[Dr.Funk]

Have to put Brad Boyes on the list.


He's had a few big number seasons.

 

[Glenn Isildur Healy]

Are we talking about best player we have drafted or best value at a certain pick?

 

[7even]

Kaberle or Rask. I'll give the edge to Kaberle right now, but Rask still has his entire career in front of him.

 

[Seventeen Twos]

Unless he has a catastrophic collapse, gotta go with Rask.

 

[Holymakinaw]

Are we talking about best player we have drafted or best value at a certain pick?

Both, but probably more the best player we have drafted......whether it's based on accomplishments or what you think they WILL accomplish.

What do you think?

 

[Stats01]

I think Morgan Rielly will be down the line, right now I'd have to say Kadri.

 

[thewave]

I think Morgan Rielly will be down the line, right now I'd have to say Kadri.

? Based on 1 season? The answer is probably Kabs.

 

[ldnk]

Last 20 years being the 94' draft to 2013. The "best" players drafted would be a mediocre list overall:
Modin, Berezin, Markov, Kaberle, Thornton, Mair, Ponikarovsky, Antropov, Boyes, Wellwood, Colaiacovo, White, Stajan, Steen, Rask, Mitchell, Stralman, Stalberg, Kulemin, Tlusty, Gunnarsson, Schenn, Kadri

That, off the top of my head would be the list of guys I can actively recall the Leafs drafting and actually playing more than a handful of games in the NHL. There might be a few more.

To me based on current play/potential a top list would probably include: Kaberle, Rask, Kadri, Steen, Antropov as my top 5.

I don't really want to get into things like Rielly given that he hasn't really done anything to justify being a success other than looking like he has the tools to be successful.

 

[Patty Lee]

I think Morgan Rielly will be down the line, right now I'd have to say Kadri.

you are picking Kadri on potential, obviously. so you think he has more potential than Morgan? doesn't sound like it from your first statement.

 

[Igy]

Kaberle.

Rask and Steen as well. Both of which we got rid of too soon. :/

 

[ULF_55]

You choose from top 30 games played picks.

Draft | Num. | Round | Player | Pos | Drafted From | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM
1996 Entry | 204 | 8 | Tomas Kaberle | D | Kladno [Czech] | 984 | 87 | 476 | 563 | 260
1994 Entry | 64 | 3 | Fredrik Modin | L | Sundsvall [Swe-1] | 898 | 232 | 230 | 462 | 453
1998 Entry | 10 | 1 | Nikolai Antropov | R | Torpedo UST-Kamengorsk (Russia) | 788 | 193 | 272 | 465 | 627
1993 Entry | 12 | 1 | Kenny Jonsson | D | Rogle Angelholm [SEL] | 686 | 63 | 204 | 267 | 298
1998 Entry | 87 | 4 | Alexei Ponikarovsky | L | Dynamo-2 Moscow (Russia) | 678 | 139 | 184 | 323 | 419
2002 Entry | 57 | 2 | Matthew Stajan | C | Belleville Bulls [OHL] | 653 | 109 | 202 | 311 | 338
1997 Entry | 84 | 4 | Adam Mair | C | Owen Sound Platers [OHL] | 615 | 38 | 76 | 114 | 829
2000 Entry | 24 | 1 | Brad Boyes | C | Erie Otters [OHL] | 612 | 172 | 240 | 412 | 191
2002 Entry | 24 | 1 | Alexander Steen | C | Vastra Frolunda HC [SEL] | 541 | 127 | 184 | 311 | 232
1995 Entry | 223 | 9 | Danil Markov | D | Moscow Spartak [Russia] | 538 | 29 | 118 | 147 | 456
2002 Entry | 191 | 6 | Ian White | D | Swift Current Broncos [WHL] | 503 | 45 | 134 | 179 | 254
1994 Entry | 256 | 10 | Sergei Berezin | L | Voskresensk Khimik [Russia] | 502 | 160 | 126 | 286 | 54
1997 Entry | 190 | 7 | Shawn Thornton | R | Peterborough Petes [OHL] | 499 | 33 | 47 | 80 | 849
2001 Entry | 134 | 5 | Kyle Wellwood | C | Belleville Bulls [OHL] | 489 | 92 | 143 | 235 | 36
1995 Entry | 145 | 6 | Yannick Tremblay | D | Beauport Harfangs [QMJHL] | 390 | 38 | 87 | 125 | 178
2001 Entry | 17 | 1 | Carlo Colaiacovo | D | Erie Otters [OHL] | 376 | 30 | 110 | 140 | 193
1993 Entry | 19 | 1 | Landon Wilson | R | Dubuque Fighting Saints [USHL] | 375 | 53 | 66 | 119 | 352
2008 Entry | 5 | 1 | Luke Schenn | D | Kelowna Rockets [WHL] | 363 | 18 | 69 | 87 | 260
2006 Entry | 44 | 2 | Nikolai Kulemin | W | Magnitogorsk Metallurg [Russia] | 353 | 75 | 102 | 177 | 90
2005 Entry | 216 | 7 | Anton Stralman | D | Skovde IK [Swe-1] | 318 | 17 | 83 | 100 | 137
2006 Entry | 13 | 1 | Jiri Tlusty | C | Kladno [Czech] | 282 | 57 | 55 | 112 | 78
2003 Entry | 158 | 5 | John Mitchell | C | Plymouth Whalers [OHL] | 274 | 36 | 57 | 93 | 102
2001 Entry | 82 | 3 | Jay Harrison | D | Brampton Battalion [OHL] | 255 | 17 | 37 | 54 | 266
2006 Entry | 161 | 6 | Viktor Stalberg | L | Frolunda Jrs (Sweden) | 243 | 52 | 52 | 104 | 132
2007 Entry | 194 | 7 | Carl Gunnarsson | D | Linkopings HC [SEL] | 230 | 12 | 58 | 70 | 62
2005 Entry | 21 | 1 | Tuukka Rask | G | Ilves Tampere [SM-liiga] | 142 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6
2000 Entry | 70 | 3 | Mikael Tellqvist | G | Djurgardens IF Stockholm [SEL] | 114 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2
2006 Entry | 99 | 4 | James Reimer | G | Red Deer Rebels [WHL] | 106 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2
2009 Entry | 7 | 1 | Nazem Kadri | C | London Knights [OHL] | 105 | 28 | 41 | 69 | 41
2001 Entry | 65 | 3 | Brendan Bell | D | Ottawa 67's [OHL] | 102 | 7 | 21 | 28 | 51

 

[Garbs]

Have to put Brad Boyes on the list.


He's had a few big number seasons.

Brad Boyes is a nothing hockey player.

 

[leafstilldeath*]

Kaberle or Rask. I'll give the edge to Kaberle right now, but Rask still has his entire career in front of him.

Seconded!

P.S. I might even add Seguin

 

[Mess]

Tomas Kaberle is the 2nd highest scoring Leaf Dman of all time so that pick was outstanding, even more so when you consider where he was drafted (round 8 #204 overallhttp://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1996e.html).

HM: Tuukka Rask who is now one of the best young goalies in the game.

 

[cynicism]

Kaberle, Rask, Steen.

 

[Lexicon]

Tomas Kaberle right now, but I see Rask overtaking him.

 

[thewave]

Last 20 years being the 94' draft to 2013. The "best" players drafted would be a mediocre list overall:
Modin, Berezin, Markov, Kaberle, Thornton, Mair, Ponikarovsky, Antropov, Boyes, Wellwood, Colaiacovo, White, Stajan, Steen, Rask, Mitchell, Stralman, Stalberg, Kulemin, Tlusty, Gunnarsson, Schenn, Kadri

That, off the top of my head would be the list of guys I can actively recall the Leafs drafting and actually playing more than a handful of games in the NHL. There might be a few more.

To me based on current play/potential a top list would probably include: Kaberle, Rask, Kadri, Steen, Antropov as my top 5.

I don't really want to get into things like Rielly given that he hasn't really done anything to justify being a success other than looking like he has the tools to be successful.

There was nothing "mediocre" about Kabs. Nothing at all.

 

[Finnish your Czech]

Kaberle, then Rask.

After that it's not really close.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

This one is easy, Kaberle one of the team's best picks ever when you consider where he was picked.

 

[93gilmour93]

Definitely Kaberle.

 

[hatterson]

Kaberle easily, both in terms of talent and value.

Rask has potential to be there, but needs a few more seasons to really cement himself.

Kadri and Rielly also both have big potential but it's far too early to put them there.

 

[MastuhNinks]

Kaberle AINEC.

8th round pick who went to 4 All-Star games and scored 500+ points as a defensemen for the Leafs (2nd all-time for Leafs defensemen, behind Salming). I think people are forgetting how good of a career Kaberle had if they already have Rask ahead of him. Since Kaberle's rookie season to the present, the only defensemen who outscored him were Lidstrom and Gonchar. He outscored some very good defensemen over the course his career (e.x. Pronger, Niedermayer, Rafalski, Zubov, Boyle, Blake, Chara). Obviously he's no Niedermayer or Pronger, but the point is he had a very strong career for an offensive defensemen.