ESPN’s excellent draft and prospect guru Corey Pronman published his first mock draft today. In addition to the fun that comes with mock drafts from professional hockey people, Pronman’s writeups feature little industry tidbits that are interesting.

It’s a great read, and his work as a whole is easily worth the cost of becoming an ESPN insider. Click here for the full article.

Based on up-to-date standings, the Leafs pick at 5 and 28.

The big debate in Toronto right now has been between Dylan Strome and Mitch Marner. Pronman’s pick at 5 answers that, with him predicting the Leafs take Marner.

Marner’s excellent play all season in the OHL has solidified his position as a top-six pick. The rumor across the industry has been Marner to Toronto, but I haven’t been able to nail down if that’s justified based on their draft board or a casual connection to the fact that his former London GM, Mark Hunter, is now running Toronto’s draft.

Neither Strome or Marner are a bad pick, and you could argue based on point production that Marner shows a tiny bit more promise. Marner definitely fits Mark Hunter’s mould (and he is a London Knight), but he isn’t the big C that Toronto has been searching for since Sundin left.

To me, Strome seems like the obvious pick if he’s on the board, especially if Nylander ends up a winger in the NHL, which seems likely based on his role on the Marlies right now. That said, Marner 123 points in 59 games is absolutely absurd. Whether the Leafs end up with Marner or Strome with their first pick, I won’t be upset.

Who Pronman has the Leafs taking at 28 is more interesting to me, and a bit less obvious. He has them targeting Jeremy Bracco, who is putting up great numbers (64 points in 50 games) in the US Development Program. Again, he is a small, fast, offensive winger/centre that fits Hunter’s profile.

It’s noteworthy that Pronman suggests the Leafs would take two smallish winger/centres in the first round. I’d have to imagine that whoever they take with their first pick would influence the second pick a lot. Bracco makes a lot of sense as a second pick if they take Strome with the first pick. Bracco makes a bit less sense in my eyes if they grab Marner – leaving the first round with two similar types of players, when you also already have Nylander, seems counterintuitive.

An additional point – Pronman has the Leafs taking Bracco even with Yevgeni Svechnikov – a big winger having a great year in the QMJHL – still on the board. Svechnikov is a guy I’d love to draft if he’s still available, but he’s a hard guy to pinpoint. He has the skill and size combination that teams covet, but the Russian factor always makes a player’s stock fall.

Mock drafts are fun. But a mock draft from someone like Pronman is a bigger deal than you or I. Again, click here for the full article. Well worth becoming an Insider for, and there were some other picks that really took me by surprise.





