New Maple Leafs Scouting Chief Has Red Wings Roots
The Detroit Red Wings faced a significant setback when Jim Nill departed to become the general manager of the Dallas Stars in 2013. Nill, recognized for his talent-spotting abilities, didn’t leave alone. He brought along two of Detroit’s top scouts, Joe McDonnell and Mark Leach. McDonnell was appointed as the director of amateur scouting in Dallas, and together, they transformed the Stars into one of the NHL’s premier drafting teams. Notable draft picks under their tenure include Miro Heiskanen (3rd overall in 2017), Jake Oettinger (26th in 2017), Jason Robertson (39th in 2017), Wyatt Johnston (23rd in 2021), and Logan Stankoven (47th in 2021).
The Stars have managed to consistently draft impactful players regardless of their draft position, having only picked in the top 10 once in the past decade. Meanwhile, the Red Wings struggled with drafting during Ken Holland’s final years as GM but have seen improvements under current GM Steve Yzerman.
The importance of Nill, McDonnell, and Leach to the Red Wings was highlighted again when Mark Leach left Dallas to become the scouting director for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He replaces Wes Clark, who moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins to reunite with former Toronto GM Kyle Dubas. Leach, who had 19 years of scouting experience with Detroit before joining Dallas, brings a total of 30 years of experience to his new role with the Maple Leafs. His hiring has received positive reviews across the NHL, reflecting his strong reputation in the scouting community.
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