Some interesting draft targets for the Leafs at 28th overall
With most eyes in Leafs Nation now fixated on the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, which will be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on the 28-29th of June, the Leafs are tentatively expected to be selecting a prospect with the 28th overall pick, provded they hold onto it. In what many are deeming a loaded and deep draft - some are likening it to the 2015 Draft. With that in mind, the Leafs are in a very good position to add to their pipeline.
If the Leafs are interested in drafting a defenseman they have a couple of solid options who might be available in their pick range, including Dmitri Simashev and Tanner Moldenyk. If they want to go down the forward route, they could potentially snag a forward like Samuel Honzek, Otto Stenberg, Charlie Stramel, or Gavin Brindley.
Dmitri Simashev is a 6'4/201lb defenseman from Kostroma, Russia, who currently plays for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL. He spent 2022-23 playing in 18 games with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the KHL without recording a point but played in 29 games for Loko Yaroslavl in the MHL where he scored 1 goal and 10 points.
Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News said that "Simashev possesses the size and mobility that NHL teams salivate for on the back end while playing a responsible defensive game, leading with his stick while still understanding how to effectively use his frame without taking himself out of the play."
Tanner Molendyk is a 5'11/176lb defenseman from Kamloops, British Columbia, who currently plays for the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL. Last season he scored 3 goals and 18 points in 55 games before taking a leap this year with 9 goals and 37 points in 67 games. He also added 8 points in 18 post-season appearances.
Austin Garret of Smaht Scouting said that "Despite the counting numbers not being as high as his WHL counterparts; Molendyk is a lot more efficient in transitions compared to Cagnoni and Price and is also hyper-active in the offensive zone with his dangerous passes and shot attempts."
Samuel Honzek is a 6'4/186lb centre/left-winger from Trencin, Slovakia, but just recently moved to Canada and just played a season with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL. He scored 23 goals and 56 points in 43 games after spending several seasons in the Slovakian junior circuit.
Corey Pronman of The Athletic said that "Honzek is a large winger who moves well for his size and competes well enough to get to the interior parts of the offfensive zones. I don't think his pure skill will ever dazzle you, but he has enough hands and vision to make plays as a pro and provide offense."
Otto Stenberg is a 5'11/180lb centre/right-winger from Stenungsund, Sweden. He has spent the last few seasons playing for Frolunda HC at either the U16, J18, and J20 circuits. He made his SHL debut this season with 1 goal and 3 points in 23 games after playing in 29 games at the J20-level with 11 goals and 26 points.
Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News said that "The Swedish forward is a dynamic presence who can flash the exciting offensive intellect that makes for a dangerous scorer, but there are moments when his offensive game can wane a bit. Thankfully, there are so many areas of the ice where Stenberg seems to make an impact with his speed and skill."
Gavin Brindley is a 5'9/157lb right-winger with dual-citizenship from Canada and the United States. Brindley recently committed to the University of Michigan after a few seasons with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. He scored 12 goals and 38 points in just 41 games, while registering 1 goal and 4 points in 7 games at the World Juniors for Team USA.
Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News said that "Brindley plays with incredible pace both on and off the puck. The Wolverines' winger hounds defenders in the offensive zone when they have the puck, disrupting their ability to process and forcing bad passes."
Charlie Stramel is a 6'3/215lb centre-man from Rosemount, Minnesota. After a few seasons with the U.S National U17 and U18 teams in the NTDP, he committed to the University of Wisconsin and scored 5 goals and 12 points in 33 games. He was also apart of Team USA at the WJC and added 3 assists in 7 games.
Corey Pronman of The Athletic said "He's a 6-foot-3 center who can skate well and plays a highly physical brand of hockey. He's not just a brute as he has very good puck skills and can make some plays, even though his pure offensive upside and overall hockey IQ are the big area of debate in his game"
The Maple Leafs will have plenty of good options at the end of the first round and could go either route with a defenseman or a forward. They could move up if they so choose to, they can also move out of the first round if they want to snag an extra draft pick or two.
