The Toronto Maple Leafs have realized the return of the Sam Lafferty trade after they selected a goaltender in the 2024 NHL draft.
The Leafs did not have a lot of draft capital coming into the 2024 draft. They did trade into the end of the 1st round, where they selected defenseman Ben Danford. However, they did have a number of later round draft picks that they put to good use. The Leafs selected goaltender Timofei Obvintsev in the 5th round, adding a goaltender with good size and NHL upside to their prospect pool.
Congratulations to Timofei Obvintsev on being selected 157th overall to the Toronto #LeafsForever Maple Leafs! #WeAreGoldStar!
Notably, this is the same draft pick the Leafs acquired from the Vancouver Canucks last season when they traded defenseman Sam Lafferty to their west-coast rivals.
With the 5th-round pick acquired in this trade, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected goaltender Timofei Obvintsev officially finalizing the trade! #LeafsForever
Typically, 5th round draft picks to not amount to much. Only 3-5% of players drafted in the 5th round would be expected to make the NHL. However, Obvintsev is believed to have genuine NHL upside by many scouts.
Timofei Obvintsev is great value for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Big 6-foot-4 goaltender that some scouts think could be a legitimate NHLer one day.
Still some seasoning on the positioning size but I've been told there's serious upside there. #NHLDraft
Teams frequently find ways to snag star goalies late in the draft. Many of the best goalies currently in the NHL came from late round picks. Igor Shesterkin? A fourth round pick. Perhaps if they are lucky, the Leafs could have just gotten their future starter as a massive steal.
