'It's a great day to be a Toronto Maple Leaf': Craig Button on the Leafs winning the Draft Lottery

This is unbelievable.Yesterday the Toronto Maple Leafs announced their new leadership core and the leaders just got their first victory.The biggest victory they could have asked for in the offseason.The Toronto Maple Leafs just won the draft lottery and get first pick overall.How huge is this given where this organization is right now.Why are you so surprised.

Oh my gosh.

On the trade deadline we did the lottery.We had the Leafs winning too.Like you know when we did it we were loud based and saying we fixed it.We foreshadowed it that while now they'll be saying this is fixed too.Hey listen you know you get the first overall pick now you get the pick of the letter.And the bottom line is you're trying to add some skill you're trying to add some really top end players that can make a difference to your franchise.

That is significant for the Toronto Maple Leafs.Make no mistake about it.For me the best player in this draft is Gavin McKenna.Gives him a chance to draft Gavin McKenna and the profile that he has I think just sets up really.Hey listen in a season that just went sideways and downwards like continuously you know this is now something that for the fan base is really significant.But to me it's McKenna all day long for the Toronto Maple Leafs and to me that's a that's a great.

This is a great day to be a Toronto Maple Leaf.

We were just talking moments ago about how slow is the turnaround going to be.We'll we'll Matt Austin Matthews want to stick around through a potential turnaround.And now all of a sudden you go to Austin Matthews.Hey Austin guess what we just did.We just got first picker of all.Well let's bring in Gavin McKenna.

Let me let me pick this up too.OK.So Gavin is a brilliant offensive player.He's a playmaker.What did Austin Matthews lose a playmaker.That really helped Austin Matthews be prolific as a goal scorer and Gavin McKenna who might not be fully physically ready to play in the National Hockey League next year you get alongside Austin Matthews he can carry you but Gavin McKenna can think along those lines and play at that level so he is coming into the Toronto Maple Leafs could be very capable of helping elevate

Austin Matthews game immediately because that's how good Gavin is and again he'll only get better with time and years and maturity but you come into a situation you get on the left side with Austin Matthews that is something that can work really nicely.

Okay I'm not gonna ask you to jump in Austin Matthews head because you can't do that that would be an unfair thing but this much I can tell you.CJ says, according to his league sources, Austin Matthews has said, at this point, before today's draft lottery results, he was saying, I'm not sure that I want to be a part of this organization come the fall.I have not made that decision.If you are part of the scouting staff, if you're John Chayka right now, if you're Matt Sundin right now, what are you going to say to Austin Matthews about what he could be a part of now that they get the first overall pick and a Gavin McKenna?to sell Austin Matthews on what this kid could do in terms of impacting this organization and also a direct impact on Austin Matthews himself.

Well I mean I just talked about what the impact can be on Austin Matthews.I mean he's a prolific goal scorer.He's a phenomenal goal scorer.He had a dip because he lost one of the best playmakers in the entire National Hockey League.Now you can replace it with that.It's not one player.

You know Austin isn't looking at this in my view from the lens of just oh we got him.We got this one player.

But it's so much harder to walk away when you've just been handed the first pick.

No it isn't.

Is it not.No.

Why do you say that.

Well I'm saying you want to increase the talent level on this team.They just took a huge.

It's up to Matthews.No no they didn't take a huge jump.They took a jump.I just thought about it.OK.The Toronto Maple Leafs are short in so many areas you know.

Right.Don't think one player is going to turn this.I just said I'm not saying he's turning the organization.

I'm not saying turning the mentality the mentality.

It's not where it's going to do it.Austin Matthews is going to take his time to understand what they're going to do.This is not about one thing because one player is not going to say oh look at how close.

OK but let me let me say explain what I'm trying to say.You as you're John Kenton Chico trying to look at this organization saying what we need to do is bring in somebody to support Austin Matthews up front.Somebody to help with the offense.Somebody to make him feel like he's not the only guy to go out there and score.That now has been taken care of.So now Chayka and company can focus on you know what else we need.

We really need to bolster our blue line.So now they could turn what assets they do have into bolstering the blue line so they don't have to expend those assets on bringing offensive support up front.Well they got trades down the line.

They don't have a first rounder for the next two years.They don't have that.So basically what you're telling me is they get they get a younger version of Mitch Marner potentially to come in.And then we saw.So now that's going to turn around the Leafs team.Gino the work that has the Leafs have to do is pretty significant.

And it's a wonderful day to win the lottery and get Gavin McKenna.But there's a lot of work here and this is not about OK you checked one box.There's a lot of boxes that need checked.

You know who's really smiling right now.Lucky number twelve who you cannot wipe the smile off Matt Sundin's face right now.It was number twelve that ultimately decided that.And what are the odds.Because look at the reaction when he realizes the legendary Matt Sundin your First day, first full day on the job, you just got first pick overall.

First overall pick in 1989.So, you know, one of the nice things to be a first overall pick and for Gavin McKenna, now you have Matt's here who went through it.I mean, he was in Quebec and the team was trying to rebuild.Austin Matthews, a player that he went through.So that's a nice little comfort area is to be a first overall pick and to understand what it's all about.You can really help that next player in this case, whoever that is.

And for me, if it's Gavin McKenna, wonderful.

OK, let's take this now from Gavin McKenna's perspective.You could have gone to any number of cities.You could have ended up in Vancouver.You could have ended up in Calgary.You could have ended up anywhere.You now end up in Toronto where there is some significant turmoil going on.

right now.You've spoken to Gavin McKenna more than any of us here at the network.

I don't know.What do you.

What do you think his impression is of being of being on his way now to become a Toronto Maple Leafs.

Gavin is not afraid of any challenges.Gavin you know obviously you want to be the first overall pick.Players always tell you that he now is sitting here.He goes if Toronto wants to take me I'm going to be the first overall pick.I don't think he's ever shied away any challenge whatever in his life and I think that this is an exciting day for him to think about the possibility of wearing the Maple Leafs number 72.

Alright let me ask you the question that I guess I'm almost afraid to ask it but I need to ask it.It's a question that I've asked you a number of times already.Is there any doubt in your mind that Gavin McKenna is the best player available in this draft and will go number one overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs?

Two different questions.In my mind I think Gavin McKenna is the best player.In my evaluation he's the best player in this draft.I can't guarantee he'll be the first overall pick.This isn't Connor McDavid.

Fair enough.So the gap is not as big as McDavid and 2.But how big is the gap then between McKenna and 2?

Yeah, I mean thin margins.So let me just put something out there.And you know we talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Blue Line.So, you have Matthews, you have Nylander, you have Matthew Nyes.You sit there and you start to debate, okay, well, we'd be better off taking a defenseman.

Because numbers two and three on your list are both D -men.

They are.And two D -men that I think are clear -cut number ones in the National Hockey League.That would be Carson Carls and Chase Reid.So, you look back and you think about what the Toronto Maple Leafs haven't had in terms of a blue liner.Does that make sense?And I think you have to have that discussion.

You have to have it.You have to have the discussion, the debate, and understand, okay, what could these both mean?And to your point earlier, the issue, not issue, I don't want to say that, the situation with Austen Matthews, becauseparamount.Do you want to get Auston Matthews back to the level of what his capabilities are?I think Gavin McKenna does that better because I don't think either one of those defensemen are ready to come in and help next year.

OK, you're a scout.You're in the Toronto Maple Leafs room right now.They're trying to decide, OK, what do we do?Do we take McKenna at number one overall?Do we look for a defenseman to bolster our blue line down the road?Or do we not take anybody and say let's move that first overall pick.

Now we suddenly do have an asset to deal because we've talked a lot about the fact that Toronto Maple Leafs cupboards are bare.No picks no prospects.Now they've got first overall this June.If you were a scout on a scale of one to 10.How secure would you say no we absolutely have to keep number one and take number one versus let's move that pick.

Well I think you got to understand what the options are.I can guarantee you what John Jake is going to say.We're open to the ideas.We'll listen to any of the offers just like every manager before him with the first overall pick.We'll listen.We'll hear what has to be has to be said.

You've got to understand what's available.It's not just about a player.You've got to evaluate what the age of the player is what it means for your team now what it means for your team down the road and all those things have to come in.So but you don't close the door on it.You close the door if it's Conor McDavid.

Right.Yeah.But the gap is right.You don't close the door here.OK let's move forward now.So we know the Toronto Maple Leafs have won the first overall pick in the draft lottery overcoming the odds to make that happen.

The Vancouver Canucks were number one.The Sharks then came in at number two and now the Vancouver Canucks round out the top three.Significantly disappointing result to the draft lottery.It's the worst thing that could have happened to the Vancouver Canucks.It's the furthest down they could have fallen.So everything that could have gone wrong for the Vancouver Canucks during the regular season went wrong.

Everything that could have gone wrong for the Vancouver Canucks in the draft lottery went wrong.Look at your list now.now and tell me who is the best available player by the way you think things will unfold in Craigslist.going to the Vancouver Canucks.

I'm going to do a mock draft a little bit later.You're going to do it later.

So give me who you think Vancouver will.

So now again calculus right.I talked about those five defensemen they have.I think Zee Williams is going to be a real top notch player.I love Tommy V. Lander.We know what Philip Peronick is.They're another team that needs offense.

It feels like.And then you got San Jose which might work to their advantage.San Jose has loads of good offensive lots of offense.Yeah.And they need defense.OK.

So to me it would it would lead me I believe that if you need a setter don't exclude Caleb Maholtra.Right.And if you want a winger Evar Stenberg.

All right.We're looking forward to your mock draft lottery my friend.This has been a lot of fun.And believe me folks it was breaking news for us as well as it was for you.Who to thank it.The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the draft lottery and the right to select first overall in this June's NHL entry draft.

Sarah.