The generally accepted premise for the Toronto Maple Leafs draft strategy next weekend is after selecting Auston Matthews with the top pick is that they will concentrate on adding defensive prospects and a goaltender in the top half of the 2016 NHL Draft.

The Leafs have six picks in the first three rounds (1st and 30th overall in the first round, 31st and 57th overall (from Washington) in the second round and 62nd and 72nd overall (from NJ via Pittsburgh) in the third round) and 12 picks in total.

That gives GM Lou Lamoriello and Director of Player Personnel Mark Hunter a great deal of flexibility to move up the draft board if they have targeted a blueliner such as Dante Fabbro, Jake Bean or Charlie McAvoy.

If the cost of moving from #30 to the late teens or early 20’s is too costly, Toronto may stand pat and select one of a half dozen blueliners who project to go there or possibly trade down if they think that they can get that defenseman a few picks later or later in the second.

There is always a wide ranging difference of opinion regarding the qualities and potential of players as the Draft gets into the later rounds and that is no different with the secondary level of blueliners.

Here are some that may be on the Leafs radar late in the first and second and what the Hockey Prospect.com Black Book thinks about them.




HP Ranking - 26 - Cholowski possesses almost all the qualities you look for in a defensive prospect, including size, skating ability, skill with the puck and high end hockey IQ. He's very mobile in all directions and can make you pay on the breakout with either his passing game or his skating skills. Fairly good at defending in his own end and moving pucks out with control, this is a player with a lot of raw skill and no glaring weaknesses.



HP Ranking - 38 - The offensive game is where Johansen shines. He reads the rush exceptionally well and has a knack for finding the soft ice with timely pinches. This allows him to get his quick and accurate snap shot off that doesn’t require his feet to be planted to be effective. Works the point as the only defenseman on the power play and moves well laterally to fire through traffic and often gets pucks cleanly on net.



HP Ranking - 42 - Markus has good upside as a defenseman who can contribute at both ends, but will likely take a while to develop. He needs to grow into his size and also gain more consistency, as he would have his good nights and his bad nights. Playing a consistent role with consistent ice should help him adjust and improve.




HP Ranking - 45 - Clague’s main and most obvious asset is his top-end, elite skating skill set. He has unbelievable acceleration and quickness which allows him to separate himself from his check or lead the rush. His quick feet and elite speed allows him to be a solid defender as well as a threat offensively. He is very good at exiting his own end as his speed and agility allows him the time and space to make plays. Clague can change directions on a dime, he is very tough to contain and is very good at escaping the fore checkers with elusive moves that come very natural to him.



HP Ranking - 67 - Fox is an undersized and skilled right defenseman. Fox featured prominently on USNTDP’s blueline and was its most consistent offensive weapon. Fox has some frame-size issues, but offers a solid offensive defenseman package.



HP Ranking - 87 - Dineen has big upside, because if he makes the NHL, it will be as an offensively productive defenseman. The down side is a big risk as he lacks the size, the defensive ability and mental mistakes all add up to the risk of never playing in the NHL. A team may want to take that risk taking him off the board earlier rather than later, but the risk his carries may also scare some teams off.



HP Ranking - 32 - Needs to work on being more consistent from shift to shift if he is going to make the jump to the next level. We found that at times he would get caught chasing the play. Hajek projects as a mobile two-way defenseman with size that will probably lean more towards the defensive side of it at the pro-level. That said, he not only already is more than a defensive defenseman, he also has enough offensive tools to develop the offensive part of his game further as he moves forward.


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Listen to the latest episode of "Off The Post" with myself, Russ Cohen and Anthony Mingioni, as we discuss the upcoming draft and where some guy named Stamkos will go:




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