The NHL draft happens every year and over 200 players are selected. Sometimes teams make a bad selection, but also great selections. The Toronto Maple Leafs have been on both ends regarding how well they draft. Here, we’re going to look at the biggest steals of the draft since 2005 for the Maple Leafs. In no particular order, here’s the list.
Biggest Draft Steals by Maple Leafs
Anton Stralman (217th pick, 2005)
While he didn’t have such a long tenure in Toronto, Anton Stralman became a successful NHL player. He played two seasons with the Maple Leafs, featuring in a total of 88 games. He also had a stint in the minors with the Marlies, playing over 50 games for them. The stay-at-home defenceman scored 22 points across those two seasons with the Leafs. This was a time when the Maple Leafs were a very weak team. In both the seasons that Stralman featured in, Toronto finished last in their division. It was also tough for Stralman to find a spot on the Leafs as several defencemen competed for big roles. That includes Ian White, Tomas Kaberle, Pavel Kubina, Bryan McCabe and more.
Eventually, the Swede moved on and played for a handful of different teams. His best years were with the Tampa Bay Lightning between 2014 and 2019. This was a very successful era for the Lightning, where they achieved everything but the Stanley Cup. While Stralman was there, the Bolts made a finals appearance, multiple conference finals appearances and a Presidents’ Trophy.
Even though Stralman found success outside of Toronto, he was a steal in the 2005 draft in the seventh round. Especially, since he went on to play nearly 1,000 NHL games.
Leo Komarov (180th pick, 2006)
Leo Komarov was an integral leader for the Maple Leafs during his time in Toronto. In five seasons, the Finnish forward played 327 games for the Leafs. In that time he scored 52 goals and 122 points. He wasn’t known for his threatening offensive abilities or jaw-dropping skill. However, he was a great fundamentally sound hockey player. Komarov was often on the top penalty-killing unit and on the other side of the ice he was the net-front presence.
Komorav was a steal in the draft because of his leadership and the values that he brought to the culture of the Maple Leafs. He was around during some of the darkest times in Leafs history. In the 2015-16 season, Komorov was named an NHL all-star as the representative for the Maple Leafs. That year turned out to be a career-best for the forward. He went on to score 19 goals and 38 points in 67 games, putting him on pace for over 40 points in a full 82-game season.
Komarov stayed another two seasons and saw the playoffs again. He served as alternate captain for Toronto and became a mentor for young stars such as Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander. Many of his teammates remember the draft steal as ‘Uncle Leo’.
James Reimer (99th pick, 2006)
James Reimer won the hearts of many Leafs fans during his time in Toronto. He was drafted in the fourth round by the Leafs in what looks like a steal looking back at it. He gave Toronto hope during their dog days. Reimer played 207 games for the Leafs, the most for one team in his career. In that span, he posted a 2.83 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.
Reimer’s best season for the Maple Leafs in terms of statistics was in 2012-13. In 33 games he finished the year with a 19-8-5 record. On top of that, he recorded a 2.46 GAA and a career-high .924 save percentage. To add to those numbers, the Manitoba-born goaltender secured four shutouts that season. Thanks to the heroics of ‘Optimus Reim,’ the Maple Leafs were able to make the playoffs. However, Toronto saw the postseason for the first time since 2004, when Reimer put on a show. Despite losing the series in seven games to the Boston Bruins, Reimer made his efforts known. This was a big reason why Reimer was one of the players of the 2010’s for the Maple Leafs.
Reimer left his mark in Toronto and for that, he was a steal at the 2006 draft for the Leafs.
Carl Gunnarsson (194th pick 2007)
Carl Gunnarsson’s time in Toronto has a similar story to each of the other players on this list. Like Stralman, he was a reserved, stay-at-home, Swede defenceman. However, he had a much bigger role on the Leafs, just like Komarov. He spent five seasons in Toronto and served as alternate captain in his final year there. And like Reimer, he played an important role in the Leafs 2012-13 playoff run.
Gunnarsson was selected by Toronto in the seventh round in 2007. He played a total of 304 regular season games for the Leafs. In this era of the Maple Leafs, many players were playing in roles that they could not handle or were above their level of skill. For example, Tyler Bozak was a great centre for the Buds in his time there, but most of the time he was the first-line or second-line centre. It wasn’t until after he moved to the St. Louis Blues that he fit into a role meant for him. He was a third liner for the Blues and they went on to win a Stanley Cup in his first season with them.
This was a very similar situation for Gunnarsson. While he arrived in St. Louis much earlier than Bozak did, the circumstances of changing roles and succeeding are the same. On the Leafs, Gunnarsson played top-pairing minutes, usually sharing the ice with captain, Dion Phaneuf. However, once he was traded to St. Louis, he became more of a bottom-four pairing defenceman. He went on to play seven seasons with the Blues, and he was a part of the Stanley Cup-winning team in 2019.
Honourable Mention: Joseph Woll (62nd 2016)
While it’s still too early to tell, Joseph Woll could sneak into this list depending on the future. For this upcoming season, Woll is expected to be the starting goaltender for the Maple Leafs. This is a role that Woll has never held before, therefore, it’s a bit of a coming-out party for the 26-year-old. If he can turn out to be what the Leafs want him to become, then selecting him in the third round would be a steal of a draft pick.
However, there’s still a lot that can happen between now and however long Woll intends to stay in Toronto. In the past, he’s had some injuries, specifically last season where he missed around three months. Nonetheless, it seems that the front office has a lot of trust and belief in Woll as they signed him to a new contract. It’s a three-year contract that becomes active after next season, holding $3.67M in cap space.
Main Photo: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
