The Leafs went into the 2022 NHL Draft holding three picks but after a handful of trades on the draft floor, walked away with five new prospects in their system.
Kyle Dubas and his scouting staff – led for the first time by new Director of Amateur Scouting Wes Clark – were originally slated to pick 25th overall but when it became clear that the player they were targeting with that selection would no longer be available, they packaged that pick alongside embattled goaltender Petr Mrázek in order to deal his contract to the Chicago Blackhawks. There has been no confirmation, and there likely never will be, but it is believed that the player the Leafs were hoping would fall to the 25th pick was Liam Öhgren who was chosen by the Minnesota Wild at 19th overall.

Just speculating here, but from where I was sitting, the chatter at the Leafs table really started picking up when Liam Ohgren was picked by the Wild at 19. https://t.co/rZqb1hVQxH
— Joshua Kloke (@joshuakloke) July 8, 2022

When all was said and done on the opening night of the draft, the Leafs were without a pick but had shed the entirety of Mrazek’s contract in exchange for moving down 13 spots from 25th to 38th overall where they eventually selected Kamloops Blazers forward Fraser Minten early on day two.
The Leafs’ next scheduled pick was in the third round at 79th overall but once that pick rolled around, the Leafs opted to trade down to the 95th slot and acquire a fifth-rounder to help recoup some of the dr …

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Author: Nick Richard / The Leafs Nation