Maple Leafs' Hunter on draft strategy: 'We will not just focus on big guys'

The Toronto Maple Leafs are doing away with old habits heading into June's 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Toronto holds its highest draft pick (fourth overall) since 1989, but the franchise's draft history leaves something to be desired - especially with higher picks. The Maple Leafs have often selected bigger players over skilled players, usually to their detriment, but hockey sense is now the primary focus under the guidance of director of player personnel Mark Hunter.

"I have no problem with a 5-foot-10 guy that is physically strong and can get down the ice. Who would not like the (Tyler) Johnson kid out of Tampa? He’s not that big, but he’s wide. He’s strong," Hunter told Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star. "That's not going to stop us from drafting a smaller guy. But you want some bigger guys, too. But we will not just focus on big guys."

Along with the fourth-overall pick, Toronto also acquired the 24th pick in a trade with the Nashville Predators, giving the Maple Leafs two opportunities to look for skilled prospects in the first round.

The focus on skill is a positive change for a franchise that selected hard-hitting defenseman Luke Schenn fifth overall in 2008, and traded up to draft Tyler Biggs with the 22nd pick in 2011. The Maple Leafs' successful recent draft picks have been high-skill selections like Nazem Kadri and Morgan Rielly.

But Hunter cautions that drafting is only the first step in player development, which requires patience and guidance. Kadri's development was slowed by inconsistent usage during his time under ex-coach Randy Carlyle, while Schenn was rushed into the league too early and never became the dominant defensive force he projected as, before being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers.

"As much as you draft them, you have to develop them," Hunter said. "Be patient. And do not make a trade for a short-term gain. We have to be making sure these kids understand what it takes to be a pro. Don’t put them in situations you shouldn't."

Hunter is in Buffalo for the NHL Draft Combine, where he'll get a close look at the top prospects available. Toronto plans on interviewing more than 100 players during the combine, and Hunter will use the opportunity to gauge another important part of being a professional athlete: character.

"You see what kind of person they are," Hunter said. "You want to make sure they have some values, that they care about their family, care about their teammates."