Last week, we voted on who the Leafs should draft with their pick based on the assumption that a number of players - read: the best four - had already been picked. The dilemma was not extended into the hypothetical (moreso than already) in that we couldn't say that the team had traded down in order to acquire more picks as Garth Snow did in 2008 and we could not trade up as it has (and is every year that Burke has been in charge) been rumoured that the Leafs are actually trying to do.

Here are the picks thus far:

  1. Edmonton - Copper N Blue - Nail Yakupov
  2. Columbus - The Cannon - Filip Forsberg
  3. Montreal - Habs Eyes On The Prize - Mikhail Grigorenko
  4. NY Islanders - Lighthouse Hockey - Alex Galchenyuk

So, before revealing the pick that we made I would like to congratulate the Kings on their Stanley Cup title, the SBN servers for hosting this draft, and all of the Leafs fans that are and will read this and hope that there will be some other outcome.

With the fifth selection in the 2012 SBN are proud to select...defenceman Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips. The Leafs once again use their fifth overall pick on a defenceman from the WHL in the hopes that lightning will not strike twice. He sure sounds good:

The steady Murray has a mix of poise, character, and ability that is rarely found in a player who is just 18 years of age. He captained the Silvertips' squad this season, earned a bronze medal with Canada at the 2012 Under-20 World Junior Championship, and competed for his country against players mostly several years his senior at the 2012 World Championship. Along the way, Murray did little to reverse the thinking that he is the top defensive prospect in this draft. - HF Draft Combine VideoHe's the top rated draft eligible player from the WHL which is good. The Cannon had a good profile of Ryan Murray as well. This is a pick that might not take as long to develop since he is referred to as the most NHL-ready but after the Leafs' experience with Schenn and Burke's comments about how he would have kept him in Kelowna I'd expect that this pick (and likely any the Leafs make) is not made with an eye towards immediate help.

What do you guys think?