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Toronto Maple Leafs fans may have found a playoff race after all given the first-round draft pick on the line if the Pittsburgh Penguins make or miss the postseason.
The first-round pick sent to Toronto as part of the Phil Kessel trade drops to a second-rounder if Pittsburgh somehow manages to miss the playoffs. The thought of the Penguins missing the playoffs seemed ridiculous just a few weeks ago, but now, with a surging Philadelphia Flyers squad and a devastating injury to Evgeni Malkin, the idea of Pittsburgh missing the postseason could be a reality.
The Flyers are only four points behind Pittsburgh with 15 games remaining compared to 14 for the Penguins. The two teams will still play each other three times before the end of the season, which means a playoff berth could be determined by whichever team wins the best of three mini-series.
There is the possibility Philadelphia and Pittsburgh could both make the postseason if the Detroit Red Wings lose their grip of the last Wild Card spot, or even the New York Islanders somehow collapse given they are only two points out of the other Wild Card spot currently held by the Penguins. However, the Islanders still have 16 games remaining on their schedule, more than any of the teams chasing them in the standings, so it is highly unlikely John Tavares isn’t playing once the playoffs start.
The Maple Leafs have already begun to do their part in earning Pittsburgh’s first-round pick. Yesterday afternoon when Pittsburgh won to move ahead of Detroit in the standings, Toronto managed to shut out the Red Wings later that night. Just a few days prior the Maple Leafs also managed to pull out a shootout victory over the Islanders. Toronto still has the Flyers and the Red Wings again on their schedule before the season ends which means the Maple Leafs could continue to help out the Penguins in the standings.
Fans hoping Toronto tanks in order to get the best odds of earning the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft might not enjoy these recent wins, but it could still work out in their favor. Even if Pittsburgh squeaks into the playoffs, their draft pick is likely to be somewhere between Nos. 15-20 overall, potentially providing the Maple Leafs with two picks in the top 20 of this year’s draft.
Toronto already owns the best chance of obtaining the No. 1 overall pick courtesy of also owning the worst record in the league. A win here or there against the right opponent might help the Maple Leafs not only keep the best odds at the top pick, but also help secure a second top-20 pick that could potentially become an exciting prospect or trade piece.
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