The Leafs did something on draft day that they have not done in 42 years
The Leafs didn't have an overly busy draft this year, heading into the draft with only 3 picks. There were also no trades on day one of the draft, which is the first time in 16 years that that had happened on night one of the draft.
Not only did the Leafs not make a move up or down on night one of the draft, but they also didn't make a single trade on day two either, holding onto their 5th and 6th round picks. In the end, the Leafs walked away from the draft with forwards Easton Cowan and Hudson Malinoski and defenseman Noah Chadwick.
There was something rather significant about the Leafs' 2023 draft class - they drafted all Canadians. This is the first time in 42 years that the Leafs targeted all Canadians in a single draft, with the last occurrence being in 1981. Cowan, 18, hails from Strathroy, Ontario. Malinoski, 19, is from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Chadwick, 18, is also from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
The Leafs, in recent years, have taken swings on a number of European prospects, hailing from Sweden, Finland and Russia, including the likes of Roni Hirvonen, Topi Niemela, Dennis Hildeby, Rodion Amirov and Nikita Grebyonkin, among others. In 2021, they also drafted a pair of US-born forwards in Matthew Knies and Ty Voit.
I'm not sure if the Leafs had identified some sort of a market inefficiency regarding Canadian-born prospects for a few years there, but now, having selected 6 Canadians with their last 8 draft picks, it's safe to say that the Leafs don't appear to be shy about plucking home-grown talent anymore.
