7 high-scoring forwards Leafs could land in the first round of 2024 NHL Draft
The Toronto Maple Leafs probably won’t land a superstar in this year’s NHL Draft, but it shouldn’t be for a lack of trying.
Toronto holds the 23rd overall pick in the first round of this year’s draft and will have the opportunity to draft at least one high-scoring forward from the junior ranks.
Of course, just about everyone who ends up having NHL success probably had a decent junior and minor hockey career, but there are always a few players with great junior numbers who end up falling later in the draft than they maybe should’ve.
For this exercise, we’re looking at seven forwards ranked between 15-32 on Bob McKenzie’s latest ranking. meaning they could conceivably be available in the range Toronto is drafting in.
Ranked by points per game, here are the seven highest-scoring forwards who could be options for the Leafs to draft this month when the draft gets going on June 28.
Dean Letourneau, St. Andrew’s College
2023-24 stats: 14 GP, 14 G, 11 A, 25 PTS
Pretty much the only way Dean Letourneau would be on NHL radars would be if he was high-scoring, but he’s been playing lights-out hockey in the Ontario private school ranks.
While it’s definitely the lowest level of competition of anyone on this list, he’s put up a very impressive goals-per-game rate at a school that produced Leafs 2017 seventh-rounder Ryan O’Connell.
Terik Parascak, Prince George Cougars
2023-24 stats: 68 GP, 43 G, 62 A 105 PTS
Terik Parascak was held pointless during five WHL games a year ago, but he could hardly be stopped once he became a full-time player in the league.
The highest-scoring rookie in the league, Parascak finished third on his Prince George Cougars squad in scoring but cracked the top-10 league-wide with the eighth most points in the WHL.
Liam Greentree, Windsor Spitfires
2023-24 stats: 64 GP, 36 G, 54 A, 90 PTS
Liam Greentree led the OHL in goals by a rookie with 25 in 2022-23 and performed even better in his second year in the league.
Named team captain ahead of his NHL draft year, Greentree has picked up gold medals at both the World Under-18 championships and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Matvei Gridin, Muskegon Lumberjacks
2023-24 stats: 60 GP, 38 G, 45 A, 83 PTS
The leading scorer in the USHL this past season, Matvei Gridin will still likely be at least a year out from making his NHL debut.
Like many great players of the past, the 18-year-old Russian is committed to joining the University of Michigan roster this fall.
Andrew Basha, Medicine Hat Tigers
2023-24 stats: 63 GP, 30 G, 55 A, 85 PTS
Andrew Basha had a pretty solid third season in the WHL, playing alongside projected 2026 first-overall draft pick Gavin McKenna, who led the team with 97 points despite starting the season at just 16 years of age.
Basha himself has been known as one of the league’s quickest wingers as per EliteProspects, with his draft ranking going as high as 18th in the draft from EliteProspects themselves.
Tij Iginla, Kelowna Rockets
2023-24 stats: 64 GP, 47 G, 37 A, 84 PTS
The internet might explode if an Iginla played for the Leafs. While Tij Iginla might have some big shoes to fill if he wants to live up to his famous father Jarome, the 18-year-old has impressed at just about every level he’s played at, including winning a gold medal at the 2023 World Junior Under-18 championships for Canada.
Lucas Pettersson, MoDo Hockey J20
2023-24 stats: 44 GP, 27 G, 30 A, 57 PTS
Before you ask: no, Lucas is not related to either player named Elias Pettersson in the Vancouver Canucks organization.
A high-scoring forward in the junior ranks, Pettersson also played five games for MoDo’s senior team, though he was held scoreless in those contests.
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