Someone please tell me about this dude, I know nothing of him.

This draft was the worst possible scenario for the Leafs. No surprise at all in positions 1-14. I was hoping Dubas to trade down.

Amirov is a high risk, high reward pick. Mobile forward, good at possession, fits in with the Leafs current system and philosophy.

Maybe they trade down still?

solid pick imo. good overall player that has loads of potential. definitely not a safe pick but if he pans out he could be a top 10 player in the draft

We'll see. He could be a trade chip for a defenseman. Given the way the draft went down, taking a risk at 15 was probably a good decision.

Basically reminds me of Kucherov when he was drafted. Give him a year longer in the KHL than send him to the marlies and in 2-3 years could be a very good 2nd or 3rd line LW. Underrated and many scouts were calling him a potential steal. Once he puts on some size this kid with Tavares could be scary.

I think he will be fine. Many scouts were calling him a potential steal and honestly once he puts on some size and gains more confidence he could be a force to be reckoned with.

not really Amirov actually was a good choice. He plays a good 2-way game, can create plays (borderline playmaker), is very good at skating, is good at both ends of the ice, and is a wizard with the puck having a completed pass percentage higher than Byfield/Stuzle/Lafreniere.

Heck many scouts were calling him a potential steal so Dubas wasnt risking it. Cause Montreal or Chicago would have grabbed him.

exactly, we have forwards already so we have time to develop him which if done correctly, he could possibly be a 1st-2nd line winger. Pair him with Matts and Willy and that's dangerous

I see him with Tavares as Tavares can help ease his transition into the NHL when ready plus if his projection of becoming similar to Kucherov is scary

For his development I see him playing out this season in the KHL than at 20 years old comes to NA and plays with the marlies.

I disagree with your assessment when you compare him to Hyman. He has much more offensive potential than Hyman, for starters. From puck control to passing and shooting. And in terms of agility.
The kind of natural talent that you either have young, or not. And he is not nearly as physical. Similarity with Hyman maybe in terms of hockey IQ. Mind you, I'm basing that on scout reports, but Will's video you posted above makes the point about the lack of physicality - and he's someone who was really high on Amirov.

I view Amirov as high risk, high reward. He has a very high ceiling, even star potential. But he might also never make the transition to NA successfully. The safe choices at that rank would have been Guhle, Schneider or Mercer. Probable NHLers, but not nearly as high a ceiling.

Leafs had hits and misses (and many misses) with Russian players in the past, which is why I'm prudent with setting expectations.

Here is the issue with the pick, actually 2 issues. First, the Leafs have this wonderful scout that handles all their business in Russia, maybe you heard his name mentioned on the Sportsnet broadcast, Jim Paliafito. He's the guy responsible for scouting guys like Mikheyev and Barbanov, etc. Dubas really values him and his input. Perhaps the word "really" doesn't quite cut it. Dubas values his input above that of any other Leafs scouting or development personnel when it comes to drafting. So, when Jim says take this kid, Dubas does it.

In my opinion, the Leafs' first round pick is a huge misstep for the organization. I would agree on the high risk, high reward player aspect of Amirov's game. He's a good skater, good vision, good shot. Like many other Russian-born players, he has a habit of taking shifts off and not always pushing himself to where his skill level says he should be. He is heavily offensive-minded, but does seem to provide his team with some defensive-minded play. I would call this a strong Dubas signing as far as the mold of what Dubas has brought to this team since he took over as GM. In my opinion, and I would agree with Brian Burke here, if there is a tie for who is the best player available at your draft spot, you then draft for position. Guhle, Schneider, Greig and even Justin Barron to a degree are also as good a prospect as Amirov, if not better and all of those prospects I just mentioned fit what the Leafs far better than what Amirov brings to the table. Now, talking about high risk, high reward, Amirov could easily become a top-line winger with his skill set, but it will likely take him 3-4 years to get to the NHL provided he works on significant aspects of his game and buckles down.

I would expect the Leafs second day at the draft to be far more safe. It seems like a no-brainer at #44, provided he's still available (or perhaps they move up), take Ryan O'Rouke out of Dubas' old stomping ground, Soo Grey Hound (OHL). I would also expect them to take a goalie, perhaps and hopefully Taylor Gauthier. There will be likely be some late-round gems in this draft included heavily underrated Dylan Peterson (US program) James Hardie (Mississauga-OHL), Jack Thompson (Sudbury-OHL), Tyler Tullio (Oshawa-OHL), Josh Williams (Edmonton-WHL). I hope the Leafs day 2 sees them draft heavily from North American, and particularly the OHL.

Amirov was a great pick.

Burke should not be talking about who Toronto should and shouldn't be drafting. His draft record here was downright embarrassing, and one of the major reasons why Toronto was still in a rebuild 10 years past the lockout.

At #15 Amirov was NOT a great pick. Sure Burke was a terrible GM, but his point is valid.

Montreal and Chicago were eyeing him and honestly the picks good. On the right development plan this kid could become a 50+ point top 6 wing. Better to draft than to lose like Montreal did with KK and Detroit did with Seider.