Toronto Maple Leafs' Draft Analysis: An in Depth Look

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Second Round, 50th Overall—Kenny Ryan—USNDP—Right Wing

53GP—21G—20A—41PTS—44PIM

Kenny Ryan is a strong skater that plays a very solid two-way game. He is very hard to knock off the puck because of his big size and is a very hard worker in the corners. One thing to note is that he is also very gritty, with Darren McCarty being his favourite player growing up. The difference between the two is that he is also very fast on his feet, being one of the fastest to come from the United States National Development Program.

Player Comparison: Todd Bertuzzi

Second Round, 58th Overall—Jesse Blacker—Windsor—Defenseman

67GP—4G—17A—21PTS—54PIM

Although at first it does not look like it, Jesse Blacker is a great two-way defender with a great defensive presence and an ability to always be in position. He is good in the corners, almost always being able to come out with the puck. He also has an underrated ability to move the puck, something that was not able to be shown with limited ice time last season. Finally, unlike most two-way defenseman, he is a really sound and fast skater, being able to skate back on the rare occasion that he is caught out of position.

Player Comparison: Dennis Wideman

Third Round, 68th Overall—Jamie Devane—Plymouth—Left Wing

64GP—5G—12A—17PTS—92PIM

Even though Devane was unranked by most NHL scouts, this pick makes all the more sense when you look into it. Jamie Devane was one of the biggest fighters in the OHL last season, getting 14 fighting majors last season. What that also tells us is that in playing 64 games, he only got 22 actual penalties, which means that he is not dirty by any means. One thing you can count on with this kid is that he will come into every game playing as hard as he can, while doing everything possible to win. The two big knocks on this kid is that he is not a good skater and has no scoring touch, but in all honesty, I really don’t think Burke drafted him for his gracefulness and scoring ability.

Player Comparison: Chris Neil

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