> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Tuesday FTB: Bob’s midseason draft ranking for 2023 - URL: https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/toronto-maple-leafs-ftb-bobs-midseason-draft-ranking-for-2023-trade-deadline/ - Published: 2023-01-24T12:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2023-01-24T12:00:00.000Z - Description: What should the Leafs do with their 1st round pick? - Author: Hardev - Tags: From The Branches, #chorus, #Import 2023-04-05 10:50 Bob McKenzie has released his midseason rankings for this summer’s 2023 NHL Draft. Without hesitation, he made sure it was clear that it’s Connor Bedard’s draft and no one behind him is close. The race to the bottom is going to be [fierce](https://twitter.com/CF%5FDepthCharts/status/1617548636233121793?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com). --- #### Related ['It's Bedard at No. 1 and a wide chasm to everyone else' - TSN.ca](https://www.tsn.ca/connor-bedard-locked-in-at-no-1-in-bob-mckenzie-s-mid-season-nhl-draft-ranking-1.1909910?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) --- The other thing, more pertinent to the Leafs, that Bob mentioned was that this year is very light on defenseman, but strong in forwards and goalies in the first round. This tells me that once the top forward talent gets picked in the top half of the first round, we’re going to see teams reach for defenders a lot earlier than they should be, as well as possibly goalies, leading to lots of talent slipping through to the later rounds. GMs just can’t help but draft defensemen There should be very little reason for the Leafs to keep their first round pick this season. They’ve shown the ability to find talent beyond the first round (Minten, Knies, and Robertson are the three latest examples), and they’re supposed to be winning a damn Cup this year, so they should be going out and getting the biggest catch they can find. ROR, for example. ### Should the Leafs trade their first round pick at the Trade Deadline? | Trade the 1st | 290 | | -------------------------------------- | --- | | Don’t trade the 1st | 122 | | Keep the 1st and trade it at the Draft | 38 | ### Various Leafs and Branches William Nylander and John Tavares combined for four goals in the second period in a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders. Auston Matthews also scored in the third. [Goal Recap: Leafs beat the Islanders](https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/goal-recap-leafs-beat-the-islanders/) | by: Katya [Game in 10: John Tavares and William Nylander light up the Islanders with dominant second-period outburst](https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2023/01/24/game-in-10-maple-leafs-5-islanders-2/?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) | by: MLHS [Sheldon Keefe Post Game, Leafs 5 vs. Islanders 2: “The second period was the best period John Tavares has played all season… All of the things he does at an elite level came together at that time”](https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2023/01/24/sheldon-keefe-post-game-leafs-5-vs-islanders-2/?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) | by: MLHS The reunification of Tavares-Nylander came after a first period where Matthews-Nylander went 0-10 in shots and have slowed down offensively in the last week. Switching the RWs shook both lines up worked wonders. Stuff like that is fun to do when the two top wingers are functionally identical. Dryden Hunt cleared waivers and is going to the Marlies, beaten out of a job by Holmberg and McMann. Hunt last played in the AHL in 2019-20 in Springfield. > Leafs loan Dryden Hunt to the Marlies. [https://t.co/jwwKjoM9Rl](https://t.co/jwwKjoM9Rl?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) > > — Joshua Kloke (@joshuakloke) [January 23, 2023](https://twitter.com/joshuakloke/status/1617642632121057280?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) Expect TJ Brodie to stay out of the lineup until the All-Star break, which begins after February 1st for the Leafs after a home game against the Bruins. > Sheldon Keefe said TJ Brodie won’t be available for Monday and Wednesday games but the team will reassess him later in the week. > > “He’s going to have to be feeling really good to play before the break,” said Keefe. > > — Joshua Kloke (@joshuakloke) [January 23, 2023](https://twitter.com/joshuakloke/status/1617555581275099136?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired David Savard in 2021 for a 1st, 3rd (retention 1), and 4th (retention 2) round pick. His cap hit at before retention was $4.25 million. The Leafs, theoretically, would only have to retain Gavrikov’s $2.8 million cap hit once. I don’t have the ability to cover Gavrikov as a player, but I did find it funny that Frank Seravalli’s “buyer beware” section on him basically described all the things we love about Timothy Liljegren, namely containing offense and forcing opponents to shoot from worse spots, physical when he needs to be but not overtly, predictable. I wouldn’t say he’s an obvious choice, but he’s worth looking into if the Leafs strike out on using their first on a top forward. If they the forward they get can’t easily supplant Järnkrok, then they should get a defenseman, and I believe it should be Gavrikov out of the options available. > We've heard the reported asking price for [#CBJ](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBJ?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov: Starts with 2021 return for David Savard. > > Given what we saw from Savard and then Ben Chiarot last year, is that too much? > > Examining Gavrikov's game with a fine-toothed comb:[https://t.co/Lyo7wYIDW6](https://t.co/Lyo7wYIDW6?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) > > — Frank Seravalli (@frank\_seravalli) [January 23, 2023](https://twitter.com/frank%5Fseravalli/status/1617653606718787584?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) Speaking of predictability, the Vancouver Canucks. > Elliotte confirms one of the reasons they brought in Tocchet was because of JT Miller: > > "That was one of the things this was all about. No question. That was one of the things this was all about." > > (Marek Show) > > — Taj (@taj1944) [January 23, 2023](https://twitter.com/taj1944/status/1617619990844440576?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) > Elliotte confirms one of the reasons they brought in Tocchet was because of JT Miller: > > "That was one of the things this was all about. No question. That was one of the things this was all about." > > (Marek Show) > > — Taj (@taj1944) [January 23, 2023](https://twitter.com/taj1944/status/1617619990844440576?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) The Panthers, who were down 5-1 midway through the third, scored once with the extra skater, but eventually got scored on in a 6-2 loss. > spicy goalie pull with 9+ minutes left for Florida > > — Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) [January 24, 2023](https://twitter.com/hayyyshayyy/status/1617710175615614977?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)