Lou Lamoriello snags European scout from the Leafs
After another first round exit, we knew the Leafs would face some organization changes. The scale of those changes was hotly debated at first, but once it was confirmed that Shanahan, Dubas and Keefe would be back next season, the transformation at the mid levels of the front office began. Jim Paliatifo and Steve Briere were among some of the names who have been ousted, and while we don't yet know what fate awaits Steve Briere, we do know that Paliafito has been picked up by his former boss, Lou Lamoriello, in Long Island.
Paliafito made a name for himself with the Leafs by having an affinity for being able to lure high-profile European free agents to Toronto. Among the names that Paliafito can be credited with bringing over are Nikita Zaitsev, Alexander Barabanov, Mikko Lehtonen, Igor Ozhiganov, Calle Rosen, Andreas Borgman and, most recently, Ilya Mikheyev.
Regardless of the success level of these players in North America, and in Toronto specifically, they were all HIGHLY coveted pieces in their own rights and could have had their pick of the litter in the NHL. The fact that they all chose Toronto says a lot about Paliafito's ability to connect with these European FA's and sell them on the organization. In that respect, the Islanders are sure to have a leg up on the competition in terms of signing European FA's going forward.
With Paliafito being one of the first names out in Toronto this May, it could indicate that the Leafs may be pivoting to more of a domestic approach rather than an import approach, signing free agents out of the NCAA as opposed to seeking them out in Europe. That's not to say that they won't still pursue European FA's, because if the right player becomes available, I'm sure Kyle Dubas will certainly take a look, but they'll likely look at filling spots either internally from the Marlies or through the NCAA.
