I was really hoping for Osmanis or Ekberg. Alas

Tyler Hopkins is better unfortunately

Same thing happened with Spencer Sova. He even got into a preseason game!

Him and Mike Johnson are the best

Do you think he's the next Grebenkin-esque success story or will he wind up being more of a Dmitri Ovchinnikov type?

Here are a few players I really like, but left off because I'm sure they'll be gone before our pick:
- Carter Amico
- Bryce Pickford
- Vaclav Nestrasil
- Bill Zonnon

Pickford and Amico feel like they will be gone just before our pick, while im sure Nestrasil and Zonnon will be gone long before

Samuel Boisvert: Another re-entry player, Boisvert has a huge 6'5 frame and posted decent numbers in his first QMJHL season. Could be a decent bottom 6er some day.
Very much a project, but few available in the 7th round will have the tools that Boisvert has to be a solid NHLer

Jacob Crawford: Another dawg, Crawford has great pace and defends very well. Natural center with a big frame (think bigger Pontus Holmberg) and really solid skating. Not going to contribute much offensively, but does all the little things right and will help linemates flourish.

Magomed Sharakanov: Aside from his cool name, Sharakanov is a very mobile defenseman who can lead the breakout well (Are you sensing a theme yet?). He's a double re-entry prospect, so hes a little further along in his development. Definitely worth a flyer in the later rounds.

Anthony Allain-Samake: Quick, offensively gifted LHD with good size. Possibly my favourite defenseman target for the Leafs, he brings everything our prospect pipeline lacks at D. Excellent with the first pass and leads the breakout well. Physicality is a question mark though.

Lukas Sawchyn: Offense is the name of the game. His puck handling ability and IQ are off the charts. There are a number of questions surrounding Sawchyn's size (5'9) and skating ability, but the raw talent of this kid is worth the risk. Improved noticeably throughout the season.

Theo Stockselius: This guy was made in a lab to be a Leaf IMO. Huge frame, fantastic pace, absolute dawg. Really impressive passing ability and a solid goal scoring touch. He needs to be picked by the Leafs.

At what point do we just stop caring about potentially overpaying Bennett? The value he brings to the Panthers isn't just good relative to his cap hit, it's just flat out good. He's a player that checks all of the boxes for the Leafs. Overpay him, who cares. Just win

The sad truth is that we all know the DoPS isn't going to do anything, just like the last time Bennett concussed a Leaf. It's time the governing bodies actually put player safety first. Absolutely pathetic that the league continues to enable this kind of behavior.

Rant over

Bennett deliberately tries to INJURE other players. It is abhorrent and not at all what hockey is about.

Bennett, and other players like him who pull this shit year after year, need to be removed from the league. Harsher punishments need to fall into place to keep players safe.

I don't want to hear the same old "hockey is a physical sport" rhetoric. There is a difference between physicality and straight up assault. There is a difference between a routine hit and a blatant attempt to injury. These are not minor, isolated instances that result from accidental plays.

Sam Bennett is a repeat offender. Last time we played Florida in the playoffs, it was Knies who was on the receiving end of an extremely dirty play ALSO resulting in a concussion. Players like this should not be allowed anywhere near the league. A suspension of a few games isn't enough.

And the Americans score on the subsequent penalty. To have the game decided by an idiotic call by the officials is embarrassing