The Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving will be able to sit at the table for the first round of the NHL draft this year, a change from a year ago when he was fired by Calgary and hired by the Leafs. This year, he will call out the name of the 23rd pick, unless there is a trade.
The Leafs have had mixed results with picks in the 20s in the salary cap era. While some picks like Rasmus Sandin have been successful, others like Tyler Biggs and Stuart Percy have been disappointments. The 23rd pick has produced several solid NHL players over the years, including some well-known stars.
Here are some potential players who could go 23rd this year based on mock drafts and scout rankings: Teddy Stiga from the United States, Ryder Ritchie from Canada, Dominik Badinka from Czechia, Sacha Boisvert from Canada, Aron Kiviharju from Finland, and Adam Jiříček from Czechia.