Andrew Nielsen‘s days in the Leafs organization had been numbered for some time.
It wasn’t always this way, though
A member of Toronto’s continually promising 2015 draft class, the former third-round pick symbolized the kind of risk/reward selection process that has since become a crucial component to roster construction in the modern NHL.
In drafting Nielsen, the Leafs took a swing. And some swings wind up as misses.
Nielsen had tools. He still does, in fact. Blessed with an enticing combination of size, offensive instinct and a booming shot, Nielsen’s toolbox served as a form of scouting catnip – enough to convince teams that they possessed the means to coax out his best.