The winner of the 2016 NHL Draft Lottery was kept secret to all, but Don Cherry had an idea.
“I was so confident the Leafs we’re gonna win the lottery, I wore this here,” Grapes said about his Maple Leaf tie and Toronto Marlies jacket.
“Don’t forget the American Hockey League; you can see great hockey there,” he said, reminding Leafs faithful that the Leafs’ AHL affiliate is alive in the post-season.
Toronto won the lottery and will now choose first overall at the June draft (unless they move that pick, of course.) The Winnipeg Jets will select second while the Columbus Blue Jackets will pick third.
With all of the attention now facing Auston Matthews, the player most likely to be taken with the top pick, Cherry highlighted the Leafs’ outlook with a nod to Mitch Marner whom Toronto chose fourth overall last year.
Marner is playing for the London Knights of the OHL and is close to setting scoring records.
“Not only do they have the first overall pick coming up, they have this guy coming,” Cherry said. “This guy has got the magic hands.”
“They’ve got a good future ahead.”
