The city of Toronto is still buzzing after the Leafs defied odds to win the NHL draft lottery on Tuesday night and land the No. 1 pick next month in Buffalo.
That’s where the conversation started on the Thursday edition of Leafs Morning Take as NHL Insider David Pagnotta filled in for Jay Rosehill once again. Pagnotta discussed the reaction from around the league to the Leafs winning the draft lottery for the second time in a decade. Spoiler alert: plenty of people were jokingly suggesting the lottery was rigged. Sure, sure — whatever. At any rate, Pagnotta did reveal that Gavin McKenna’s camp is excited about the possibility of him becoming a Maple Leaf. Across the board, you have to think the financial implications of that are lucrative.
Meantime, the Leafs received even more good news on Thursday as the NHL salary cap officially jumped from $95.5 million to $104 million — an increase of $8.5 million. We discussed what that could mean, especially for a team like Toronto that’s looking to spend and improve its roster.
Additionally, we spent a significant amount of time discussing Auston Matthews’ future. Matthews’ camp was a key focus, with Pagnotta outlining how they’re feeling and what they want to see from the Maple Leafs this summer. At the end of the day, it’s understandable — why would a player of that calibre commit long-term if the team isn’t fully positioned to win? The pressure is certainly on Toronto, but at the same time, there’s no question Matthews needs to elevate his game as well. That side of the conversation doesn’t get talked about nearly enough.
Fresh off another National Championship at University of Denver, David Carle stopped by the show to discuss the current state of college hockey, player development, recruiting, and the transfer portal era. He also offered fascinating insight on projected No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna, calling the superstar prospect “ultra dynamic” and comparing aspects of his playmaking ability to Nikita Kucherov. Additionally, Carle touched on what NHL teams look for in college players and addressed speculation surrounding his own NHL future.
Jay Rosehill will be back in the mix for the Friday edition of Leafs Morning Take. We’ve got plenty coming your way — including a rare interview with former Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment president and CEO, Richard Peddie.