Rangers currently up 2-0 in Game 7; A Rangers victory against the Canes would benefit the Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs entered the postseason likely to pick at 28th overall, having finished the season in 4th place. However, thanks to series wins by Edmonton and Tampa, the Leafs have now been bumped up to the 26th overall pick.
The New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes are in the midst of a deciding Game 7 in their series, with the winners moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals. If you're a Leafs fan, however, you should be rooting for the New York Rangers in this one, because if they happen to oust the Canes, the Leafs' 1st round pick becomes the 25th overall pick in the draft.
Obviously, there's not really a world of difference between selecting 25th or 28th on most occasions, but for the Leafs, who own just 3 picks in this year's draft, the higher their first round pick the better. If the Leafs are planning to trade down from their 1st rounder to secure some additional draft capital, the higher their first rounder ends up being, the better the return on their trade should they elect to move down - especially if there's a player remaining on the board that a team below them might covet.
At the time of writing this, the Rangers are up 2-0 after the first 20 minutes. If the Blueshirts can manage to avoid relinquishing their lead, Leafs fans will have something to cheer about, albeit something fairly miniscule - though I'm sure we'd give up all of this year's picks if it meant still having playoff life.
Previously on MapleLeafsDaily
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6 hours ago | By TJ Tucker Craig Berube and the Maple Leafs Making a Strong Case for Chris Tanev to Make Team Canada |
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7 hours ago | By TJ Tucker Former NHLer and Member of the Toronto Maple Leafs Family Tragically Passes Away |
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8 hours ago | By Ryan Smitheram Insider Confirms Leafs' Interest in Two-Time Stanley Cup Champion Brandon Saad |
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10 hours ago | By Nick Matthews Craig Berube Singles Out One Young Maple Leaf Who Has Been Particularly Underwhelming |
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22 hours ago | By Dean Chaudhry Trusted NHL Insider Reveals Matthew Knies' Projected Return Date for the Maple Leafs |
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Jan 29 | By Dean Chaudhry Senators Reveal the Extent of Nick Cousins' Injury After Knee-on-Knee with Leafs' Jacob Quillan |