Reporter affirms Igor Chernyshov is the pick for the Maple Leafs at 23rd overall
Photo credit: KHL
The 2024 NHL Entry Draft is just 2 weeks away and one Leafs beat reporter has identified the player who he thinks is the best option for the team at 23rd overall.
There have been a myriad of mock drafts coming out over the past week or two as we approach this year's NHL Entry Draft in Las Vegas, Nevada. When it comes to the Leafs, most seem to believe that targeting a defenseman or a center is the best approach for the Leafs, but according to The Athletic's Joshua Kloke, the best player available approach should be the focus.
Rather than using the 23rd overall pick on a defenseman or a center, Kloke is hoping that Dynamo Moscow's Igor Chernyshov is available to the Maple Leafs with the pick, as he believes Chernyshov possesses the very skill set that is coveted by Leafs head of scouting, Wes Clark.
Kloke's write-up on Chernyshov is as follows:
"I'm not convinced Chernyshov will be available at No. 23 but if he is, the competitive and skilled power forward ticks a lot of boxes as a Leafs pick under director of amateur scouting Wes Clark. Chernyshov has an impressive motor, inner drive and high-end hockey IQ that the Leafs covet. What he showed in both the MHL and the KHL is that he can skate well and create plenty of offense off the rush. As a plus, Chernyshov isn't afraid to get physical either. With a pro-ready 6-foot-2 frame and KHL experience, he might be closer to the NHL than others in his range."
Last summer, the Leafs used the 28th overall pick that they acquired from Washington in the Rasmus Sandin trade to select London Knights standout Easton Cowan. The draft pick had originally belonged to the Boston Bruins.
This year, the Leafs held onto their own draft pick, and at 23rd overall, they're going to be getting a good player one way or another - that is, of course, if they don't trade down to acquire some additional draft capital or move the pick in a deal for an impact player at or ahead of the draft.
Source: The Athletic
| POLL | ||
JUIN 12 | 285 ANSWERS Reporter affirms Igor Chernyshov is the pick for the Maple Leafs at 23rd overall Do you think the Maple Leafs should select Igor Chernyshov at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft if he's on the board at #23? | ||
| Yes | 65 | 22.8 % |
| No, we need to pick a defenseman | 95 | 33.3 % |
| We should be picking a forward | 6 | 2.1 % |
| Always pick the best player available | 119 | 41.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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