FanNation

Whilst the rain beats upon my window this early evening, Cliff Fletcher and the Maple Leaf scouting brass are undoubtedly finalizing their plans and possible scenarios that will shape the future of the team for many years to come.

Ten years after the Leafs selected Nikolai Antropov with the 10th overall pick in 1998, the Leafs finally land a draft selection within the top ten. However, the upper echelon of the management team cannot afford to draft a lame-duck player. Brandon Convery was selected eighth overall in 1992, the highest pick the Leafs have chosen with in the past decade and a half. After five years, most of which were spent in the minors, Convery was shipped to Vancouver after accumlating a total of seventeen points in only fifty career games with the big club. Suffice to say, the selection process is never a guarantee.

Many mock drafts have the Leafs selecting Danish right winger Mikkeal Boedker of the Kitchener Rangers. Boedker posted impressive numbers in the 2007-2008 OHL regular season, totalling 73 points in 62 games, including 29 goals. But it was his whopping 26 assists and 35 points in only 20 games that elevated his draft status (he was ranked 13th by NHL Central Scouts at mid-way point of the season). At almost 6 feet and 210 pounds, Boedker plays an aggressive game at high speed and has the ability to finish with his soft touch. This left-handed shooter plays his off wing and wears #89. Leaf fans will certainly draw favourable comparisons here to Alexander Mogilny, though he lacks the pure scoring ability that Mogilny had.

The Leafs have vowed to ice a much faster team than the ones on display in post-lockout NHL. Boedker certainly fits the bill, and fans of the Kitchener Rangers would gladly concur with me on this. Hopefully ol' Cliffy will have the same sentiment, because as much as I'd gladly welcome a Luke Schenn/Cody Wilson/Tyler Myers physical-type player, I believe the Leafs are in dire need of playmakers and speedsters. We don't need any more pylons (see: Aki Berg, Cory Cross, Bryan Marchment, Hal Gill, Wade Belak, Jay Harrison, many others).

*Side note: On torontomapleleafs.com, 56% of TML fans agree that the Leafs need a skilled forward the most.

Also, this was my first blog. I'd like to thank you for taking the time to reading along and I promise to have more within the next few weeks.