The Toronto Maple Leafs have capitalized on the Sam Lafferty trade by selecting a promising goaltender in the 2024 NHL Draft.
With limited draft capital heading into the 2024 draft, the Leafs made strategic moves to bolster their future lineup. After trading into the end of the first round to pick defenseman Ben Danford, they used their later round picks wisely. In the 5th round, they selected goaltender Timofei Obvintsev, adding a player with impressive size and NHL potential to their prospect pool.
Interestingly, the pick was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks last season in exchange for defenseman Sam Lafferty. While 5th round picks typically have a low success rate—only 3-5% of these players make it to the NHL—Obvintsev has turned the heads of several scouts who believe he has real upside.