OTD: the Leafs drafted the face of the franchise
On June 24th, 2016, exactly 7 years ago, the Leafs held the first overall pick in the NHL draft. With it, they selected the now two-time Rocket Richard Trophy, reigning Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award winner Auston Matthews.
It was a selection that was a no brainer and gave the Leafs their first franchise player and center since Mats Sundin. The moustache-less Matthews burst onto the scene scoring 4 goals in his debut including this beauty against the Senators.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ph2HLOxP44I&pp=ygUSTWF0dGhld3MgZ29hbCAyMDE2
Since his debut, Matthews has gone on to become a 5-time, 40 goal-scorer and set the Leafs' single season record for goals with 60. He and the Leafs are currently in negotiations on a potential extension as he enters the final year of his current 5-year deal in the hopes that Matthews will be a Leaf for a very long time.
Matthews came to the Leafs at a very dark time for the organization, after having torn things down to the studs. Drafting him kick started a run where the Leafs made the playoffs in each of his first 7 seasons.
Matthews' new deal is expected to make him the highest paid player in NHL history. He currently sits at 299 NHL goals and stands a very good chance of scoring #300 on opening night for the Buds. To date, he has amassed 542 points across 481 career NHL games.
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