With their second round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Matt Finn from the Guelph Storm of the OHL. It is a pick that no doubt had Don Cherry sacrificing new couches for a special celebration suit because not only does Finn play in the OHL but he also has a family connection to former Leaf Carlo Colaiacovo (hopefully boneitis isn't contagious) and played a bit with Stuart Percy growing up. But the piece de resistance is that he is also from Toronto!

Finn grew up in Toronto, in the Kipling-Eglinton area, with Mats Sundin and Doug Gilmour posters in his room. He's a graduate of the Leafs' Buds Club for young fans. Bryan McCabe was his favourite player.

That should satisfy the idiots that don't understand how player acquisition works in the NHL. Wait, does that say McCabe was his favourite player? Maybe we can get him to be more specific about when he stopped being his favourite and when he started referring to him as one of the Muskoka Five.

Anyway, after the jump, more on the Leafs' draft pick.

Consensus Ranking

In the Morgan Rielly post I looked at the consensus rankings that NHL Numbers had put together that created a Top 100 ranking culled from eight draft experts and weighted them based on their track record of success. It suggested that there might have been some forwards left on the board that were higher ranked than Rielly. But now, the list brings us good news: Finn was ranked 16th.*

*For what it's worth

TFC Fan

Last night I was watching the combine video below and was driven crazy wondering what actor Finn reminded me of. Then, as I am wont to do once in a while, I fell asleep on the couch where, as it is less wont to do, I was apparently struck by divine inspiration and I realized why Finn looked so familiar. His family had (I think they gave them up when he got drafted) season tickets to TFC in front of my father and I. Every home game he'd come with his two brothers and father. I remember my dad telling me that his dad had said that he'd been drafted by Guelph but I hadn't thought of it since. Anyway, I just realized this and was pretty excited. Spilled beer (not because I was drunk but because I jumped too high and fell down two rows) on his dad at the end of the first year celebrating Danny Dichio's goal. I need to find a way to leverage this.

Buzzing The Net

Finn is somewhat similar to Percy in how he uses savvy and smart positioning to keep it tidy in his own zone. Since he's 16-year-old season in Guelph, he's distinguished himself with his ability to play 1-on-1 situations. Also like Percy, Finn grew up wearing Leafs-style uniforms with the Toronto Marlboros minor hockey organization. So he won't need a wardrobe change."Geez, I can't get out of it," he said with a laugh.

Awww yeah. Finn is a minute eating, all situation playing, hard-working beast.

Combine Interview

Listen to Finn compare his play to Alex Pietrangelo without the difficult to pronounce last name.