It’s NHL draft week — or the second best week of the year outside the world juniors’ elimination round (don’t you dare argue with me). A week from today, the Leafs will have seven (give or take, depending on trades) new prospects in their pipeline.



For the second year in a row, I’ve broken down a selection of some of the options for the Leafs’ first-round pick (this time 25th overall).



As always, these are not strictly the players ranked in and around No. 25. It’s natural for fans to look at my final ranking and hone in on the range of their team’s pick, but my list does not mirror any NHL team’s, and there’s a good chance players will slip. Here, I’ve highlighted five players (two forwards, two defenceman, and a best-case scenario option). By now, I have a good idea of how things will shape up. Last year, for example, four of the players I broke down (Erik Brannstrom, Cal Foote, Nick Suzuki, and...