2016 NHL Draft Lottery

[crazyperfectdevil]

i can see the argument why a team might not take matthews first...but not the leafs..how long have we gone without a true top line centre ..and now we have the potential to draft one and we're going to say no?  i don't think so. 

 

[Tigger]

Where's Barney?

Truly a great, satisfying season of failure was just rewarded, everyone take a bow, you earned it.

Happy for Winnipeg, Laine going there has a je ne c'est quoi, past is prologue, provenance to it.

We rule man...

Ha, yeah.

 

[dappleganger]

Way to go Toronto, only one year too late!

 

[hockeyfan1]

The Leafs are very happy with the Draft Lottery outcome and potential choice...

Shanahan would not reveal who the Maple Leafs would select, but he certainly didn't hold back when asked to provide some analysis of the projected top choice, center Auston Matthews...

"He's obviously a player who has played a lead role his whole life," Shanahan said. "He has good size, plays center, and I feel like he can score from the perimeter. But he also has a knack for going to the net and banging in some garbage goals home as well. He's definitely someone who has earned the right to be where he is today."

"It was nerve-racking watching it," Matthews told Sportsnet.ca. "I have a lot of mixed emotions but am excited to be part of it. I'm excited and relieved and it's nice to have clarity. But the draft is still a ways away."

"This is a great piece, but I wouldn't put too much pressure on any one player; this is a team game and we play a team style and the more players you can get of a high caliber that's a good thing," Shanahan said. "I think we have a good idea who the player is (that we will select). We'll discuss and confirm some of the things we already know, but I don't think there's any real need for us to reveal [the selection] now.

"I can say our scouts were very pleased with this result."


https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-draft-lottery-won-by-maple-leafs/c-280526766?tid=277764372

 

[TheMightyOdin]

Stopped watching the Leafs in January of 2015 after 32 years of watching religiously. Told myself I wouldn't invest anymore time and heartache until the team at least made the playoffs.

Now I have to think about amending my stance. 20 plus months will have benn a good break..

 

[nutman]

Oh my!!!!. has the jinx been lifted, are the buds back.  ;D ;D ;D.

Sorry it took so long but when I herd the news I fell and couldn't get up .
For the first time in many years i am all hyped about the up coming season, I can't wait. this is going to be a long summer.

 

[Highlander]

I just kept thinking about what Babcock said over and over "If you do good things, good things will happen".  Well isn't it about time? ;D

 

[lamajama]

Sorry if I've missed this somewhere but has Mark Hunter ever been publically
quoted on Auston Matthews?

 

[Highlander]

Not that I have heard of even if Shanny was gushing a little bit last night on the pros of Austin

 

[Redleaf]

I'm not a religious man, but last nights lottery win definatley calls for this.

*Sung to the tune by Leonard Cohen

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

 

[McGarnagle]

The Leafs are very happy with the Draft Lottery outcome and potential choice...


"It was nerve-racking watching it," Matthews told Sportsnet.ca. "I have a lot of mixed emotions but am excited to be part of it. I'm excited and relieved and it's nice to have clarity. But the draft is still a ways away."

Kind of a strange quote. I wonder what "mixed emotions" he's referring to.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

The Leafs are very happy with the Draft Lottery outcome and potential choice...


"It was nerve-racking watching it," Matthews told Sportsnet.ca. "I have a lot of mixed emotions but am excited to be part of it. I'm excited and relieved and it's nice to have clarity. But the draft is still a ways away."

Kind of a strange quote. I wonder what "mixed emotions" he's referring to.

He seemed a little disappointed when they interviewed him after the draft. I did read the transcript from a phone interview with him last night, and that one seemed more upbeat.  Who knows, he may have been really hopeful Arizona would win the lottery and had trouble hiding the fact when they didn't. Once Toronto rules out their version of a red carpet for him, that likely changes.

 

[Redleaf]

The Leafs are very happy with the Draft Lottery outcome and potential choice...


"It was nerve-racking watching it," Matthews told Sportsnet.ca. "I have a lot of mixed emotions but am excited to be part of it. I'm excited and relieved and it's nice to have clarity. But the draft is still a ways away."

Kind of a strange quote. I wonder what "mixed emotions" he's referring to.

It was an odd thing to say for sure. Maybe he was hoping Arizona would draft him? Or maybe he was hoping to play in the US?

 

[Zee]

The Leafs are very happy with the Draft Lottery outcome and potential choice...


"It was nerve-racking watching it," Matthews told Sportsnet.ca. "I have a lot of mixed emotions but am excited to be part of it. I'm excited and relieved and it's nice to have clarity. But the draft is still a ways away."

Kind of a strange quote. I wonder what "mixed emotions" he's referring to.

He seemed a little disappointed when they interviewed him after the draft. I did read the transcript from a phone interview with him last night, and that one seemed more upbeat.  Who knows, he may have been really hopeful Arizona would win the lottery and had trouble hiding the fact when they didn't. Once Toronto rules out their version of a red carpet for him, that likely changes.

Doesn't matter, McDavid was gutted he didn't become a Leafs pick, he still played amazing for the Oilers.

 

[Zee]

The Leafs are very happy with the Draft Lottery outcome and potential choice...


"It was nerve-racking watching it," Matthews told Sportsnet.ca. "I have a lot of mixed emotions but am excited to be part of it. I'm excited and relieved and it's nice to have clarity. But the draft is still a ways away."

Kind of a strange quote. I wonder what "mixed emotions" he's referring to.

He had a follow up interview where he said all the right things like it would be an honor if the Leafs chose him blah blah.

 

[princedpw]

I'd be interested in hearing about projections for Matthews.  Obviously, these are just going to be guesses, but I'd like to hear about them anyway.  What is his realistic low end?  What is his realistic high end?  For instance, on the high end, are we looking at Tavares?  On the low end are we looking at Nazem Kadri?

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

High-end from what I've heard is a more defensively capable version of Mike Modano.

Low-end is probably Chris Drury.

 

[Darryl]

Finally a win of some sort for this franchise. And a big hello to all the whiny fans of other teams hating on the Leafs for getting the number one pick. Go drown in your tears.

 

[Deebo]

Good chance to see Matthews Friday at 9AM in the Canada v. USA game at the worlds.

 

[Guilt Trip]

High-end from what I've heard is a more defensively capable version of Mike Modano.

Low-end is probably Chris Drury.

Madano? Lets hope not. Yes he was a very good player but I never thought of him as elite.  I like this comparison better...

Marc Crawford, Matthews? coach with the Lions, couldn?t have given the young star more praise, lauding his hockey sense and comparing him to two current NHL superstars as well as the Hall of Fame centre who he won the 1996 Stanley Cup with in Colorado.

?He will be a No. 1 centre in the NHL and his game will be one where I think he can dominate with his shot and his abiltiy to make short area plays - dekes and shots and quick passes that spring people,? Crawford told Yahoo Canada Sports.  ?He?s a little like Anze Kopitar and a little like Jamie Benn.  His speed and the way he drives the net is like Anze.  He shoots like Benn and stays on puck for second chances like him.

?The player he reminds me most of is Joe Sakic. Joe didn?t need to play with outstandingly great players, he made people better by converting passes that seemingly weren?t very good, he was good at putting pucks in really good areas.  His release and shot is like Sakic?s, Joe was deceptive with shooting angles, Auston has those same abilities.  He is a great scoring centre.?