Three days before the Tampa Bay Lightning is expected to take Unionville native Steve Stamkos to kick off the 2008 entry draft, Cliff Fletcher and the rest of the Maple Leafs braintrust already were in Ottawa yesterday preparing for what looks to be a busy week for the Toronto brass.
The Fletcher-led Leafs hold 10 picks in the seven-round event including the No. 7 selection, the highest slot Toronto has held in the pecking order since 1989. That was the year the Leafs took forward Scott Thornton third overall, the first of three Belleville Bulls selected by Toronto.
The Leafs have not held the No. 7 pick since 1987 when they used the spot to select Luke Richardson, a rugged stay-at-home defenceman who has woven together a career that has endured two decades.
Many mock drafts have another stay-at-home defenceman, Luke Schenn of the Kelowna Rockets, falling to the Leafs at seven, although there is a belief he might be snapped up early than that, either at No. 4 to the St. Louis Blues or No. 6 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Schenn and his Rockets defence partner, 6-foot-7 Tyler Myers, were among the prospects scouted by Fletcher in person back in March. The Leafs have done their homework on both players in this defenceman-rich draft, which also includes prospective top-10 picks Drew Doughty, Alex Pietrangelo and Zach Bogosian.
Fletcher is quick to point out the Leafs will not draft by position, however, opting to go with the "best player available" philosophy.
"Why would you limit yourself to a position?" Fletcher said. "Sure, you might have needs at a certain position right now. But who's to say that will be your same need a couple of years down the road when the guy you drafted probably is more poised to make an impact for your team?"
Besides, given his past wheeling and dealing tendencies during draft weeks, expect Trader Cliff to be kicking a lot of tires for potential deals to shake up his roster, which seems to be Fletcher's mandate this summer.
Fletcher admits discussions already have been held about possibly moving up or down in the order. And with reports out of Ottawa suggesting the San Jose Sharks' Patrick Marleau and the Florida Panthers' Olli Jokinen might be available on the trade market, there will be no shortage of rumours swirling around Bytown in the coming days.
DRAFT SPLASH
"We have things we'd like to do," Fletcher said. "If they don't pan out, we are happy at No. 7 because we know we'll get a blue chipper."
Fletcher's biggest draft-week splash as Leafs' GM came in 1994 when he shocked Leafs fans by dealing popular captain Wendel Clark, steady defenceman Sylvain Lefebvre, rookie Landon Wilson and a first-round pick for young Swedish centre Mats Sundin, Garth Butcher, Todd Warriner and a first-round pick.
Other draft week trades made by Fletcher during his previous tenure as Leafs GM landed him forward Mike Ridley (1994); forwards Benoit Hogue and Paul DiPietro (1995); and saw him ship out forwards Dave Gagner and Mike Gartner in 1996.
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ABOUT THE DRAFT
WHAT: 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
WHERE: Scotiabank Place, Ottawa.
WHEN: First round, Friday, 7 p.m.; second through seventh rounds, Saturday, 10 a.m.
LEAF PICKS: 10 picks over seven rounds including No. 7, 60, 68, 70, 98, 128, 129, 130, 158, 188
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