The Toronto Maple Leafs got the best news in a long time when it was revealed they won the draft lottery and will select first overall in the upcoming NHL draft. The pick means the Leafs will likely get franchise player Auston Matthews and start on an upward trend in their rebuild.
While getting the first pick was a franchise changing event, Toronto general manager Lou Lamoriello hopes it never happens again.
“Never wanted to have it,” Lamoriello said with a hearty laugh during an interview with the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan on Sunday afternoon.
“Never wanted the opportunity and hope it never happens again. How’s that?”
It’s easy to understand Lamoriello’s thinking. He’s a competitor and while he followed Brendan Shanahan’s tanking plan, he doesn’t want to have to go back into the bottom of the lottery again. Lou wants the Leafs to start winning.
Lamoriello told the Toronto Sun that having the chance to draft so high isn’t something the organization necessary likes doing, but he’ll gladly do it considering the reward.
“Let me put it this way,” Lamoriello added. “Having the opportunity to do it is not something you feel good about. But being able to select the player your organization thinks is the best player is what you look forward to.”
It all makes sense. What general manager would say they’d endure another brutal season again just for a draft pick? The Leafs accomplished their tank, have built an impressive young core and now need to see some results. Lamoriello is likely hoping the next stage of the Toronto Maple Leafs yields a good return and not another bottom finish.
[theScore]
