The Maple Leafs badly needed something (anything!) to go right. This was it

On Monday, the Toronto Maple Leafs had one of the strangest, most unsettling days in recent memory.On Tuesday, they won the draft lottery.To say this changes everything would be a stretch. To say it changes a lot, though, feels about right.The Leafs, led by their controversial new front office of John Chayka and Mats Sundin, badly needed something (anything!) to go right. This was it. The chance to select first at the draft for the first time in 10 years — since Auston Matthews went No. 1 in 2016 — is obviously huge for the organization, beginning with the effect that it might just have on Matthews’ desire to stay.Advertisement