Scott Niedermayer won a Stanley Cup for the Ducks, selected in the first round with a pick the Leafs traded away. (QMI Agency)
TORONTO - You could build a pretty good team with the first-round picks the Maple Leafs have dealt away the past 20 years.
Of course, many other NHL teams could say the same. They have regretted the move for years, while others had no second thoughts about losing such assets, either because they needed the live bodies in return or have stockpiled enough picks that it was worth the risk.
Since the late 1980s, the Leafs have taken that plunge many times, but it has yet to pay off in Stanley Cup. As they seek to avoid an eighth straight year out of the playoffs, the players representing woulda-coulda-shoulda Leaf picks frequent the league.
