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With no pick until No. 90, the first day of the 2004 Entry Draft in Raleigh, NC gave rookie GM John Ferguson Jr. some time to contemplate the Leafs’ tendency to trade away early draft picks year after year in an attempt to send the team deeper into the playoffs and appease fans.

With the framework of the organization creaking ever louder, perhaps Ferguson will change this approach after watching all of the top 2004 prospects pulling jerseys of other teams over their head on the draft podium. Still, the scouting of the Leafs has been fairly good at finding system fillers and low-end NHLers in the middle rounds, and that was their primary task for this draft.

Justin Pogge, G

(1986-4-22)

Round 3, 90^th overall – Prince George (WHL)

6’3”, 183 lbs

The Maple Leafs first pick in Raleigh was Justin Pogge, who was ranked as the No. 8 North American goaltender by Central Scouting Service after a strong 2003-04 rookie season in the WHL. He won the starting job in Prince George, supplanting fellow Leaf prospect Todd Ford, who was subsequently traded to Vancouver (WHL). Pogge was also named Prince George's Rookie of the Year after not even being selected in the WHL Entry Draft. In April he was Devan Dubnyk’s backup at the Under-18 World Championships where he started in one game, a 7-2 victory over host nation Belarus.

For such a tall goalie, Pogge moves very well in his crease. He handles the puck well, and he has shown he can perform at a high level behind a very green defense corps. He has two years of WHL junior eligibility remaining and should earn national attention as the youthful Cougars evolve into a top junior team. It is very likely he will serve apprenticeships in Memphis of the CHL and St. John's of the AHL before he makes it to Toronto, so he’s not expected to suit up in the Blue and White for at least four years.

Roman Kukumberg, F

(1980-4-8)

Round 4, 113^th overall – Trencin (SVK)

6’1”, 196 lbs

The Leafs first pick of the second day caught most off guard. Roman Kukumberg is 24 years old and, although he has done fine with Trencin of the Slovakian Extraleague, he has gone unselected for the previous five drafts.

Still, he’s a good two-way center who can also be productive point-wise. He moves well and is both a playmaker and a decent scorer, and he’s also a grinder who does not back away from playing physical. His well-rounded game would have been a draw to the Maple Leafs, but it was likely his 2004 World Championships where he played a fourth line defensive specialist role while also killing penalties, and finished with a +1 rating, that motivated the Leafs to take him. In addition to that performance, he provided steady point production for Trencin in recent years, and he had a good playoff in 2004 with 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 11 games played. He ended up third for team scoring in both the regular season and playoffs.

The Leafs might have hopes for “Kuko”, as his teammates know him, to appear on their checking line in the near future.

Dimitri Vorobiev, D

(1985-10-18)

Round 5, 157^th overall – Togliatti (RUS)

6’1”, 211 lbs

Dimitri Vorobiev was initially projected as a solid second or third round pick by many, but slid due to concerns about his weight at the NHL draft combine. He comes from the same Togliatti school as former Maple Leaf prospect Max Kondratiev, and Vorobiev's teammate Maxim Semenov was also selected by the Leafs in the 2004 draft. Vorobiev does a bit of everything well and has made a solid mark in the Lada hockey program. Some scouts are concerned that he has no particular stand-out skills, although there are no stand-out weaknesses either. He’s a pretty good skater at a solid 211 lbs and Vorobiev has the strength and balance to defend against NHL-size opposition already.

Vorobiev will stay where he is for now and should see his ice time increase next season. He also has a shot to represent Russia at the 2005 WJC in Lake Placid. It looks like he has a chance to play in the NHL one day, but probably as a fifth or sixth defenseman at best.

Robert Earl, LW

(1985-6-6)

Round 6, 187^th overall – U. of Wisconsin (WCHA)

5’10”, 184 lbs

Robbie Earl was ranked 59th among all North American skaters on the CSS Final Rankings, so it was somewhat of a surprise to he, and the Maple Leafs, that he was still available at No. 187.

“It’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” Earl said at the draft of the long wait to be selected. “I’m not mad. I’m not happy at all but I’m just shocked. Seeing people go ahead of me that did. It’s just kind of shocking, but there’s nothing you can do.”

Earl’s just completed rookie season at the University of Wisconsin saw him lead all Badger rookies in scoring with 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) through 42 games. He was named the WCHA Player of the Week for the week ending February 9th, after helping the Badgers to a stunning sweep of top ranked North Dakota. It featured Earl’s overtime game-winner in the Friday game that became one of the best highlight reel goals of the season. Prior to arriving in Wisconsin, Earl played two seasons with the U. S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan. During the 2002-03 Season he amassed 33 points (20 goals, 13 assists) in 53 games played for the Under-18 squad. He represented the United States at the 2003 IIHF U-18 World Championship in Russia, and he also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2002 World U-17 Hockey Challenge in Winnipeg, Manitoba where he scored the gold-medal winning goal.

Earl is a tremendously gifted offensive player who is exciting watch. “[I’m a] finesse player. Kind of a crowd-liker. I’m fast, I like to score goals. I know the fans love that and that’s what I bring to the table,” he said at the draft.

He is indeed an excellent skater with explosive speed who is difficult to contain because of his great ability to move not only through traffic but also around opposing defenders. He plays with intensity and will get involved in the physical aspects of the game. His play around the net is also quite good and he will drive to the net and create chaos. Earl also possesses great playmaking skills with good anticipation and an ability to see the ice well. He possesses a quick release and has no trouble finding the net while showing a knack for scoring timely goals as well.

One area of improvement for Earl is his size. At 185 lbs. he could stand to bulk up more. Earl himself freely admits this is the one thing he needs to work on the most. “I have the speed. I have the quickness. It’s just size right now [that is missing].”

That said, Earl isn’t lacking in confidence by any stretch. “I know I definitely have first day potential and I think Toronto definitely got a steal here. Congratulations to them.” And when he was asked which player he would compare himself to, he selected a two-time 60-goal scorer. “Probably Pavel Bure. That’s kind of how I play. I hope to have my own style. I think I am one of the fastest players in the draft. We’ll have to see.”

The undersized speedster will be back at Wisconsin next year for his sophomore season in the NCAA. He needs to continue to round out his game and not be so reliant on his speed to get by. This youngster is brimming with confidence and has the potential to make a lot of noise offensively at Wisconsin next season.

Maxim Semenov, D

(1984-2-9)

Round 7, 220^th overall – Togliatti (RUS)

6’0”, 183 lbs

Selected by the Maple Leafs as a 20-year-old, Maxim Semenov was a teammate of former Leafs prospect Max Kondratiev as well as the Leafs’ 2004 5th round pick Dimitri Vorobiev at Lada. After being a bit player in 2002-03 with the Togliatti senior team, Semenov's ice time increased in 2003-04 and he made more profound contributions to the team. Although somewhat undersized by NHL standards for rearguards, he should continue to see his role increase with Togliatti next season. Togliatti is a good hockey program, and Semenov is not really close to challenging for a job in Toronto, so expect him to stay there for the next two or three seasons.

Jan Steber, C/LW

(1985-10-19)

Round 8, 252^nd overall – Halifax (QMJHL)

6’3”, 202 lbs

Steber was selected 16th overall by the Halifax Mooseheads in the 2003 CHL import draft after a good season with the Trinec Junior team in the Czech Republic. He was originally brought into Halifax to play alongside fellow Czech, and New Jersey Devils prospect, Petr Vrana. However, Vrana battled injuries all season long and Steber had some difficulty acclimatizing to North American play, and so he failed to produce at the level many were expecting. Despite this, Steber seems to have many of the tools needed to develop into a solid pro prospect. He has decent size and is strong on his skates, possessing good agility, though he lacks breakaway quickness. He has soft hands, a heavy slap shot and seems comfortable in the offensive zone. Steber plays well in every game situation and is effective on both power play and penalty killing units. More of a passer than sniper, he distributes crisp and accurate passes. He has decent hockey sense and is only an average puck handler, but he makes up for this with his strong intensity and determination. At 6’3 he could stand to add a little muscle, as he can get knocked off the puck too easily by defensemen. Although capable as a two-way forward, Steber could also show a more interest in the defensive zone as his -26 plus/minus will attest.

In January of 2004 Steber played in the CHL Top Prospects game for Team Orr and had one assist. He was also selected to play for the Czech Under-20 team in a tournament against Russia in April. The tournament was part of the evaluation process for next year’s World Junior tournament to be held in North Dakota.

A year of seasoning in the Q should allow Steber’s production to jump during his second season in Halifax where he will see his role expand in 2004-05. If he smoothes out the rough edges he could develop into a third or fourth line winger.

Pierce Norton, RW

(1985-6-7)

Round 9, 285^th overall – Thayer Academy (USHSE)

6’2”, 195 lbs

Toronto's last selection in the draft, Pierce Norton, was ranked No. 209 for North American skaters by CSS. Norton is a competitive and tough power forward with good hands who also seems to have a scoring touch. As with all young players, he needs to work on his skating and footwork before making the jump to the pro level.

Norton attends Thayer Academy prep school, which counts Jeremy Roenick and Tony Amonte as a few of their notable alumni. He has committed to Providence College (Hockey East) for fall 2005. Norton has never been tested at a high level of competition, so his debut at Providence College in 2005 will be telling. Norton is a long-range commodity for the Maple Leafs. He has one more season before he embarks on his NCAA career, so Toronto has plenty of time to be patient.

Final Analysis

The Maple Leafs seemed to do quite well with the limited number of picks they had in Raleigh. Justin Pogge was a good selection for the third round considering that the Leafs were in need of a quality goaltending prospect, and he has a chance to blossom into an NHL-caliber tender one day. The Kukumberg selection was a little puzzling for the fourth round, but apparently they have plans for the wild card and didn’t want to take a chance of missing their opportunity to select him. Teammates Vorobiev and Semenov add some defensive depth to the system, but only Vorobiev has a genuine chance of making the show. Two of the Leafs’ best looking picks came late on Day Two when they took both Earl and Steber at 187^th and 252^nd respectively, much lower than either was expected to go. There are always reasons why teams pass on players, but in both cases the risks associated were marginalized by their draft positions. Norton, their final pick of the draft, is a long term project as most ninth rounders are, but it appears that he still might have some chance to turn pro in four or five years.

Holly Gunning, Connor Robinson, Doug Evinou, Robert Neuhauser and DJ Powers contributed to this article. Copyright 2004 Hockey’s Future. Do not duplicate without written permission of the editorial staff.