{"id":565461,"date":"2026-05-03T01:42:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T01:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/565461\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T01:42:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T01:42:16","slug":"the-scout-who-drafted-drew-doughty-and-quinton-byfield-for-la-could-be-coming-to-the-maple-leafs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/565461\/","title":{"rendered":"The scout who drafted Drew Doughty and Quinton Byfield for LA could be coming to the Maple Leafs"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

If Mats Sundin is hired as VP of Hockey Operations, he could bringing in a former Maple Leaf alongside but it’s not a player \u2014 but an architect of the 2000s era.<\/p>\n

While the jury is still out on the actual legitimacy of the hirings, all reports have indicated this is the partnership that the team is going to go with, and they could be bringing on names like Tie Domi and Gary Roberts as well.<\/p>\n

Mats Sundin could bring a former Leaf along with him \u2014 the guy who helped build Sundin’s old team<\/p>\n

But there’s another former Maple Leaf who has been brought up as someone who could be a huge factor in finding the next hidden gem. It’s not a player no, but a former scout from a time long past.<\/p>\n

Mark Yannetti has been named<\/a> as a potential new face to settle into Bay St., and considering he’s spent nearly 20 years as Los Angeles’ Director of Amateur Scouting \u2014 he’s had a lot of experience along with success:<\/p>\n

They’re gonna look at bringing in other individuals to come in here…drafting will be a big part of it, we’re starting to hear a little bit of Mark Yannetti’s name out of Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

One thing about Yannetti though is that he isn’t a stranger to Sundin or the Maple Leafs. From 2000-2006 he was a pro and amateur scout<\/a> with the team, and saw not only their most successful years but also helped bring in some very important players over the years.<\/p>\n

The team added the likes of Carlo Colaicovo, Kyle Wellwood, Alex Steen and Matt Stajan while Yannetti was around, and they all went on to have long and respected careers.<\/p>\n

Why Toronto needs someone like Mark Yannetti to help their scouting department<\/p>\n

The Kings have had some pretty fantastic success since Yannetti arrived in 2006. After a year as a pro scout he went back to amateur then became the Director of Amateur Scouting. During his time the Kings drafted the likes of:<\/a><\/p>\n

That’s a laundry list of hall of famers, future ones, incredible role players and locker room legends. There’s a reason Yannetti has been given nearly two decades to run the show \u2014 he’s proven to be pretty good at his job.<\/p>\n

He’s the exact type of guy you want running things in Toronto. Right now, Mark Leach is the Director of Amateur Scouting, and while he’s had extensive experience as a scout; he’s only been a director for a couple years.<\/p>\n

Switching him for someone who knows the deeper inner workings of the system would be a benefit; and he doesn’t need to be fired. Just make him a scout again.<\/p>\n

Sundin is quite familiar with Yannetti and knows that he helped his team 25 years ago, and he’s even better now with 20 years of extra experience and some Stanley Cup success to boot.<\/p>\n

It’s not Gary Roberts, or Tie Domi, or the reanimated body of Pat Quinn who could be helping save the Maple Leafs \u2014 it’s Mark Yannetti, and he might just be on board.<\/p>\n

Previously on Hockey Patrol<\/p>\n

POLL<\/p>\n

51 MINUTES AGO|25 ANSWERS<\/p>\n

The scout who drafted Drew Doughty and Quinton Byfield for LA could be coming to the Maple Leafs<\/p>\n

Should the Maple Leafs try and hire Mark Yannetti away from the Los Angeles Kings?<\/p>\n

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