New Maple Leafs Assistant GM Judd Brackett's NHL Drafting History With Wild And Canucks
The Toronto Maple Leafs hired Judd Bracket as an assistant GM on Monday, and he will oversee amateur and professional scouting. For the last 11 years, he's been the director of amateur scouting, split between the Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Wild. Here is Brackett's history at the NHL draft.
Video Transcript
Should the Maple Leafs basically look to Auston Matthews and say, "All right.
Who do you want us to pick that will ensure that you are going to stay in Toronto for the next two years and potentially re-sign?"
Or should they go in another direction?
H- how do you see this one?
Well, I don't think who I don't think picking anyone in the draft is gonna have a huge decision on how he feels about the organization and franchise because all those players are gonna be, I think, especially the guys in the top five, gonna be great players.
But they're gonna need a lot more help than that to really get back to where some of those elite players wanna be in the playoffs.
But I think, like Ryan said, it makes sense to take him.
I think that this is also kind of a clear sign that it's time for a full rebuild and to kinda strip it down to the studs and start over.
Ooh.
What does, what does that entail, Drew?
Like, when you say strip it down, are we talking, like, trading, like, William Nylander strip it down to the studs or what?
I mean, I think so.
I think that, if I was in charge there, I think you'd go to those guys.
And I just don't see a situation where those elite players at this point in their career are really gonna wanna sit through what's gonna be a long, painful rebuild for as long as it's gonna take.
But I think getting a player like Gavin McKenna is definitely going to expedite probably that rebuild significantly.
And it seems like the, NHL did get what they want.
The league is better with the Leafs in the mix, and I think that this was a great step for them.
Drew, two years ago, this was the number one team in the Atlantic, a team that made the playoffs nine straight years.
Now, they're not that much older.
Last year they didn't have Mitch Marner and they had some injuries.
Getting Gavin McKenna, you don't think that just automatically gets them into the playoff hunt?
I don't think so.
I don't think their defensive corps is good enough to get them into the playoff hunt.
I think that I mean, it's kind of been the same thing there for years.
they don't defend well enough.
they've had a lot of high-end offensive guys.
And as good as those guys are, it's still too hard to win, without elite defensemen in the NHL today.
Now, here's a, here's a thought that I had.
Because they do have several goalies who, you know, when they're healthy are very good.
Mm-hmm.
What if they traded either Anthony Stolarz or Joseph Woll and, in the process, got back a top pairing defenseman, whether directly through that trade or, you know, just based on assets they get in, in, in different ways?
does that do anything for you guys?
Well, how about this?
I'll make it even easier, Ryan.
How about if they just go, just shove a ton of money in Darren Raddysh's, face and say, "All right.
Sign with us as a UFA"?
And you got your number one defenseman and your number one guy in the power play.
That worries me, 'cause I don't know if Darren Raddysh is the number one defenseman.
Yeah.
I, I agree with Ryan there.
I think that Julian BriseBois, who I think is probably a top three if not top one general manager, he gave probably the most blunt answer I've ever heard a GM give this year when they asked about re-signing him.
They said, "Look.
Like, we love the player.
He's having a phenomenal year."
But almost like, "We're gonna be a little careful with this, making sure this isn't a one-off year."
So- Mm-hmm I, I don't like that move.
That seems like it's the traditional UFA move that ends up working out.
I mean, his story's amazing, and I hope for him he gets completely overpaid, 'cause it's- Oh always better to be overpaid than underpaid.
but I think that that would be something I would be careful of.
