The Toronto Maple Leafs Director of Scouting, Wes Clark, has left the organization, following former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas to Pittsburgh. He will be joining the Penguins as the VP of Player Personnel.
Since Dubas, Penguins President and GM, left Toronto last spring, it has been a slow exodus of executives following suit. Jason Spezza resigned from the Maple Leafs’ head office and was hired by Pittsburgh as an assistant GM. Jon Elkin followed, joining the Pens as head goaltending evaluator, the same role he had in Toronto.
Dubas likes having a familiar crew around him, and since Clark worked with Dubas in the OHL over a decade ago, it doesn’t get more familiar than that.
Clark’s History and Legacy in Toronto
Clark joined the Leafs as an amateur scout in 2015, a year after Dubas was hired as the assistant GM.
In 2016, Clark was hired by the Panthers, but when Dubas was promoted to GM, Clark promptly came back to Toronto.
From 2021-23, Clark was the director of amateur scouting and was promoted to the director of player personnel last season. Whatever title he’s owned for the last 3 years, he has been the one pulling the strings at the draft table.
Over the past few seasons, Clark hasn’t had much to work with, which can be said about many teams with championship aspirations. In the 24 draft, Toronto had just one pick in the top 100. In last year’s draft, they had three picks total, and from 21-22, they had no picks in the first round.
Still, Clark did the best with what he had, giving Toronto a promising young group of players.
In 2022, Fraser Minten was drafted 38th overall, and could potentially make the jump to the NHL this season. He’s not projected to be a top-six guy, but with the salary cap mostly being devoted to the top-six the Leafs already have, building the bottom half of the roster with homegrown talent is a must.
Before Joe Woll, the Leafs had an awful 25-year history when it came to drafting goalies. In 2022, they drafted Dennis Hildeby 122th overall. Hildeby has been steadily growing in the Leafs system and has the potential to join the big club over the next few years. Signing Stolarz for the next two years gives him time to continue to grow.
In the same draft, Clark eyed one of the best young players in the KHL and selected Nikita Grebenkin 135th overall.
The real crown jewel of Clark’s legacy in Toronto was selecting Easton Cowan 28th overall in last year’s draft. Cowan was projected by most to be picked late in the second round, maybe even slipping to the third round. By the end of the 2024 OHL season, Clark was seen in Toronto as a borderline genius.
He finished the season with 96 points in 54 games, and 34 points in 18 playoff games, which ended with an OHL Championship. All of that success included a 34-game point streak, which set the record for the OHL London Knights.
What This Means for Toronto
Losing Wes Clark is a tough blow. He has a tremendous reputation around the league and is not afraid to make bold decisions and follow his gut. However, simply put, the Leafs are going to be fine.
Clark’s staff is still in Toronto. Derek Clancey was hired as an assistant GM of player personnel last summer and will step in seamlessly into Clark’s role.
Moreover, this is a perfect time to reset the position. The majority of the Leafs’ core is locked in contractually, and these young kids Clark drafted are getting closer to making the jump to the big leagues. The next phase of young talent needs to be ushered in, and the Leafs seem to trust Clancey to be a big part of that.
What This Means for Pittsburgh
The mess that the Penguins are in deserves a whole article unto itself. Between cap issues, roster construction, and roster age, this team may make it to the playoffs, the key word being may. But, the road forward is going to be a long one, and it’s all going to start with drafting and developing.
No white knight free agent is going to come to save them, and Sydney Crosby can only do so much. Dubas, Clark, and Spezza all have a long history together, and they believe this is the group of minds that can get the job done.
That being said, they made it to the playoffs in Toronto for eight straight years and won only one playoff round. They may be good at getting to the playoffs, but beyond that, the evidence isn’t super comforting.
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