Source: Terry Koshan, National Post, March 28, 2016
Toronto Maple Leafs looking for ‘strong finish,’ even if it costs them at draft time
Thirtieth place and the best chance to select Auston Matthews first overall in June be damned.
The Maple Leafs head into Tampa on Monday night to begin a three-game trip with one true desire, and that’s to win as many games as possible in the eight they have remaining in 2015-2016.
It’s looking more like the Leafs, who had Sunday off from practice and used the day to fly to the Sunshine State, won’t be in last place when the curtain falls on the National Hockey League’s regular season.
Toronto, which had won six of eight before losing 3-1 against the Boston Bruins at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday, is in 30th with 65 points.
Just ahead of them with 67 points are the pick-first, stay-bad Edmonton Oilers. The catch is the Oilers have only four games left — at home against Anaheim and Calgary, and a home-and-road set with Vancouver.
The Canucks also had 67 points, and eight games to go, prior to playing host to Chicago on Sunday night.
The Leafs players have said repeatedly the draft pick is for others to worry about. Like their coach, Mike Babcock, who operates only at varying degrees of high intensity, the Leafs just want to win.
Finish last and there is a 20% chance of winning the lottery, which is scheduled for April 30; finish 29th and that chance drops to 13.5%. The 28th-place club will have an 11.5% chance of getting top spot via the lottery.