Fansided

5 ways Maple Leafs winning NHL Draft Lottery will save franchise

By Leah Smith

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 30: Brendan Shanahan President of the Toronto Maple Leafs shows off the Leafs
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 30: Brendan Shanahan President of the Toronto Maple Leafs shows off the Leafs /
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TORONTO, ON – MARCH 19: Head coach Mike Babcock of the Toronto Maple Leafs watches the play develop against the Buffalo Sabres during game action on March 19, 2016 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – MARCH 19: Head coach Mike Babcock of the Toronto Maple Leafs watches the play develop against the Buffalo Sabres during game action on March 19, 2016 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images) /

1. Mike Babcock

Hiring Mike Babcock last summer, was the first big step in the Maple Leafs proving that they were committed to the rebuild.

After years of winning in Detroit, the question became how one of the best coaches in the NHL would react to what was sure to be loosing seasons for the first couple of years. The answer was that he had bought into the “Shana-Plan” just as much as MLSE and the fans had.

For as bad as the team was, Babcock was constantly pushing for his players to give all they had. A weird thing to praise about professional athletes, but there were many times the previous season when the team looked like it did not want to be there.

This season, it was clear that the players wanted to play for Babcock. There was even a stretch of games in December where the Leafs were playing so well, there started be to talk of them making the playoffs.

That of course did not happen, put for a team that finished last in the league, there was a low number of games where the Leafs were blown out. That is a testament to the systems that Babcock has put in place and how the team has bought into them.

Now, some of the most promising young players will get to learn the NHL game from him. With seven years left on his contract, Babcock will have a lot of time to mold these prospects into the players he wants them to be.

All of the pain of this season was to land the best player available in the draft. With that now a certainty, Leafs fans can get excited about Auston Matthews learning the NHL game from Babcock.

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