Maple Leafs leaning towards drafting heavy-hitting defenseman Stian Solberg?
Photo credit: NHL.com
The Toronto Maple Leafs have the 23rd pick in this year's draft, and have spent a lot of time courting 6'2, 200-pound defender Stian Solberg.
The Leafs met with Solberg at the recent NHL Scouting Combine, and while there are not a whole lot of Norwegian talents strutting their stuff in the NHL, Solberg looks like a future top-4 defenseman.
There's a lot to like about Solberg's game. He's big, plays a heavy game, finishes his checks with authority and happens to be a penalty killing specialist as well. He certainly fits the bill for what Brad Treliving and Craig Berube would be looking for in a defenseman.
The Leafs had Solberg in Toronto this week and had even attempted to wow the 18-year-old by showing him around their facility. He was quite impressed by the whole operation.
"They showed me around & I could see the locker room & their facilities ... They have a really good kitchen there & good sofa, good TV there, really good locker room. Big gym. Yeah, just everything was perfect."
-Solberg on his tour at Scotiabank Arena
-Solberg on his tour at Scotiabank Arena
Obviously, there's no guarantee that Solberg will be there when the Leafs pick at #23, but with the amount of time they've been spending with him, if he's there at #23, he might very well be their guy.
Solberg is ranked somewhere in the 15-30 range by most scouts, though Sportsnet's Jason Bukala has the defensive defenseman ranked 23rd, right in the Leafs' wheelhouse.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 14 | 233 ANSWERS Maple Leafs leaning towards drafting heavy-hitting defenseman Stian Solberg? Is Stian Solberg the smartest pick for the Maple Leafs at #23 overall? | ||
| Yes, that's a good pick | 109 | 46.8 % |
| No, I'm not sold on Solberg | 52 | 22.3 % |
| Who? | 72 | 30.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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