The Hall of Famer has made a big impact on rebuilding the Maple Leafs in just two years on the job.
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A huge night for the Toronto Maple Leafs, despite a statistical leap the franchise has secured the number one draft pick this year’s draft. That means first dibs on Auston Matthews, an American-born centre who dazzled in the Swiss-A League and would fill a gaping hole on the offensively challenged roster.
Shanahan said he hopes the result Saturday offered some excitement and even more hope for Leafs Nation.
The play of Finnish prospects Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi has created a kind of group of three along with Matthews at the top of the 2016 draft class that is not dissimilar to the Eichel-McDavid separation of a year ago. And perhaps the same can be said of Matthews, and every other player of this generation.
Bozak could be swapped to address another area of need, while Nylander (who played the entire AHL season and his brief National Hockey League stint at center) can move to the wing as head coach Mike Babcock said he would have done if the club was not short-handed at center in March.
Team president Brendan Shanahan and his army of smart people will be tasked with finding veterans to put with this talented young core, which could also include established NHLers Nazem Kadri, Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner. The three teams with the best odds of winning – the Toronto Maple Leafs, Oilers and Vancouver Canucks – are all located north of the border.
While this is a great night for the Leafs, the biggest victor is probably the Jets.
With seven of the 14 teams involved in the lottery being from Canada, having four of the top five places, and two of the top three, go to Canadian teams is a win, of sorts.
No. 13 was the only ball left that could deliver the No. 1 pick to Toronto.
Laine and Puljujarvi starred at the world junior championships in January, when Finland won gold and Puljujarvi was named the tournament’s top forward. Maple Leafs win lottery In yesterday’s draft lottery it was the Toronto Maple Leafs in first, the Winnipeg Jets in second and the Columbus Blue Jackets in third that got the luckiest.
In 2014, the Columbus Blue Jackets gave the Pittsburgh Penguins everything they could in a Game 6 loss, where they nearly completed a comeback to force Game 7. Edmonton and Calgary already has several young, cornerstone-type players in place.
Managers from the 14 worst teams in the league this year gather for the draft lottery tomorrow afternoon.
With no Canadian teams making this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, there was a 68.5 percent chance one of those clubs would win the No. 1 spot.
He was tied for fourth in NLA in goals (24) and points per game (1.28) in 36 games. “We still recognize it was the end of year one”.
The top three prospects are regarded as NHL-ready forwards. The organization added defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen with the No. 8 pick in 2013 and selected Sam Reinhart and Eichel with back-to-back No. 2 picks. Auston Matthews, a kid from Scottsdale is projected to be drafted first overall and has drawn comparisons to the likes of Jonathan Toews.
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Maple Leafs fans finally have something to celebrate. That number, thanks to James Reimer’s trade to the Sharks before the 2016 trade deadline, is now open.
