According to multiple reports, former draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Keaton Middleton will go back to the draft this summer.
Drafted 101st overall in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Middleton is a 6’5 235 lbs defenseman who should have been born ten years earlier. If he had been, he’d most likely be a pretty good NHL prospect.
The Leafs were heavily criticised for drafting the hulking defenseman at the time of the draft by many observers who felt there were better skill options on board. One of the biggest changes in hockey analysis and drafting that has come from the analytic revolution is the emphasis on speed over size.