Leafs draft combine interviewees: Noah Östlund
In 2019, the Leafs traded down from 25th pick for the 29th and 76th from St. Louis. Dubas had planned on taking Rasmus Sandin at 25 and by taking the pulse of the teams around him, figured he could still take him at 29 and get an extra asset. Noah Östlund is a prime candidate for a similar move.
Noah is one of the players eligible for this year's draft with the potential to make a lot of managers look bad. His projections are a bit of a conundrum. Craig Button has him ranked 73rd, not even going in the second round. Others seem to think there's no way he isn't taken on day 1, and NHL central scouting has him ranked 25th, precisely where the Leafs will pick.
He's on the smaller end of the spectrum at just 5'10 163 lbs., and one thing that shouldn't be overlooked is that his numbers may have been bolstered by playing on a line with two other top Swedish prospects in Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Liam Öhgren. The three formed an absolutely lethal line for Djurgårdens in Sweden's J20 Nationell league (Junior version of the SHL).
That said, Östlund came second in the league in primary assists because of his elite playmaking and anticipation. If he were to develop a shot and some finishing power, scouts think he could someday be a 100 point player. If not, put him beside a 40 goal scorer and 70-80 shouldn't be out of the reach with his elite vision. He's an excellent pick for any team with patience.
Credit: The Hockey Writers
