Toronto Maple Leafs: 2009 Draft Analysis

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

There is disappointment in Toronto concerning the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2009 draft picks.

It’s the kind of dissatisfaction your stomach feels after having a rice cake instead of cheese cake. 

But that feeling was only brought about because of Brian Burke’s need to be the center of attention. The majority of fans would be dandy if he had just kept his mouth shut. 

Burke has to realize that he doesn’t have to create any hype about NHL hockey in Toronto.  Maybe it’s just a habit incurred by managing in non-hockey markets. But he doesn’t have to sell the Maple Leafs to the fans in Southern Ontario.

Overall, I give the Maple Leafs a seven out of 10 rating. That’s not because of Nazem Kadri either. I think Burke’s first pick was a great addition to the Maple Leafs.

Kenny Ryan and Jesse Blacker were excellent choices too and Jerry D’Amigo was a steal in round six. 

Eric Knodel and Barron Smith are also late picks and most of the time these types of picks come with a roll of the dice. 

No sir, these picks don’t really bother me either. In fact, with decent development, Knodel may become one of the biggest surprises of the draft.

Jamie Devane bothers me though.

Not as a pick, but more for the time he was drafted. The third round was way too early to pick Devane. Especially when you had decent players still available: Taylor Beck, Michael Latta, Ryan Howse, Igor Bobkov, Matthew Hackett, Ryan Bourque, Toni Rajala, Henrick Bjorklund, Olivier Roy, and Edward Pasquale.

The Leafs’ excuse was that other teams were going to pick him before Toronto picked next.  So what? It’s a draft. That’s what happens during drafts.

Goaltending is always an issue, but especially with the Leafs at the moment. Why not draft Bobkov, Hackett, Roy, or Pasquale?

Draft picks shouldn’t necessarily be based on the best ranked player available, but sometimesby a team's need.

I just hope that Devane develops into more than just a fighter, so that I can eat my words.

In general, drafts are null and void because most players’ success depends on further development. A player that is NHL ready has already reached this plateau and is of a different breed altogether.

The rest need a little more time and 70 percent don’t even make it into the NHL. 

The Leafs haven’t always been that great at developing players. But it’s difficult to measure considering that they usually traded their picks and prospects for veterans past their prime.

Let’s take a closer look at the Maple Leafs’ 2009 draft picks and hope that they can make a great impact in two-to-four years.

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