After years of spending their limited draft capital on forwards or goalies, the Leafs have dedicated their first two picks in this draft to the blue line. From 2021 to 2023, the Leafs made 11 draft picks and used just one, last year’s sixth-rounder, on defense. This season they have spent both picks so far — Ben Danford last night and Victor Johansson today — on defense. The prospect pool needed to be replenished on the back end, which is what the Leafs‘ draft team is doing.
Information on Johansson is rather limited at first glance.