How the Maple Leafs almost landed Alexis Lafreniere!

The New York Rangers have won the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. 

The luck fell upon the Blue Shirts on Monday night, earning them the chance to draft likely first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere, the Rimouski Oceanic phenomenon who recently became the only player aside from Sidney Crosby to nab back-to-back QMJHL MVP honours.

And all thanks to a ball with the Rangers’ logo on it that went up the tube and was pushed out to reveal the landing spot on Lafreniere. 

However, a ball entered THE zone before the Rangers’ and Corwin of TSN’s Bardown managed to find the right metaphor for it. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ ball went up but hit the post before coming back down in the mix and allowing the Rangers’ ball to come out on top.

As Corwin hilariously depicts that was the story of Toronto’s postseason in a nutshell… Captain John Tavares hitting the post on an empty net to miss the chance to be a winner. 

Brutal! 

Instead, the final puzzle piece was awarded to New York and the Maple Leafs will sit out the first round of the draft with no pick to use. Toronto’s pick was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes last summer in the trade involving Patrick Marleau. The pick was conditional and was protected only if it was a Top-10 pick in the 2020 draft. Since it isn’t, it therefore becomes the property of Carolina.

Here’s how the first round looks to shake out, now that the Second Phase of the lottery is in the books:

Imagine if the Maple Leafs’ ball had gotten through!