The first round catches all the attention, but what a team does in rounds 2-7 can be of critical importance. Whether it’s unearthing a late star, or even acquiring a competent NHLer, late round hits can provide a huge boost to your team. Under Mark Hunter, picks after the first round have been a bit of a mixed bag. But after the Leafs made the simple and solid move of grabbing Timothy Liljegren at #17, there’s a lot of optimism about their outlook for the rest of the draft. While it’s overly reductive to make broad inferences about a team’s drafting process based on a single pick, it’s the hope of many fans that the Liljegren pick signified that the Leafs are prioritizing puck skills, skating, and offensive talent.
Leafs select Eemeli Rasanen with 59th overall pick
