"The Leafs bucked the odds, entering the lottery with an 8.5 percent chance of winning the top pick, fifth-longest odds in the field. They leapfrogged some truly terrible teams, but that's the way the ping-pong ball bounces, and they'll be rewarded with McKenna, the 18-year-old Penn State forward who's been tapped as the gem of this draft class for a couple years now."
"Toronto had a rough year and things have only gotten nastier in their offseason. Their GM has been on the job for one day and the local media already has the pitchforks out. Their star player, Auston Matthews, has two years left on his contract but is already telling people he isn't sure if he wants to return to the Leafs, given the hermetic state of their contending window."
The Toronto Maple Leafs won the NHL Draft lottery, moving up to the first pick despite having only an 8.5 percent chance. They will select Gavin McKenna, a highly touted forward from Penn State. The Sharks will draft second, marking their third top-2 selection in three years. The Leafs had a challenging season, missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade, but acquiring McKenna provides temporary relief amid offseason pressures surrounding their star player, Auston Matthews, and the team's future.
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