No slam dunk for Toronto at No. 23

he Maple Leafs have historically been hit-or-miss in the salary cap era with picks in the 20s

- KEVIN MCGRAN

Ryder Ritchie, right, was the WHL's rookie of the year in 2022-23 and had four goals and four assists at the world under-18 championships in May.

The good news for the Maple Leafs in this year’s NHL draft is that GM Brad Treliving will be able to take part in the first round. A year ago, the Calgary Flames insisted he not be allowed to sit at the Toronto table, given he had just been fired by them and hired by the Leafs. This year, unless something changes — like a trade, perhaps — Treliving will call out the name of the 23rd pick.

The Leafs have historically been hit-or-miss in the salary cap era with picks in the 20s. Tyler Biggs, 22nd in 2011, Stuart Percy, 25th the same year, and Frederik Gauthier, 21st in 2013, were disappointments. But there were happier times with Rasmus Sandin, chosen 29th in 2018, and hopefully with Easton Cowan, 28th in 2023.

The 23rd pick has produced some solid NHLers. Scott Hannan, Todd Bertuzzi, Ray Whitney and Ryan Kesler played more than 1,000 games in their careers.

Jordan Binnington, considered Canada’s top active goalie and the favourite to start in the 2026 Olympics, went 23rd, as did some other current players having marvellous careers: Brock Boeser, Wyatt Johnston and Mike Matheson.

Here’s a look at some players who could go 23rd this year, based on mock drafts and scout rankings.

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