TORONTO — Lou Lamoriello wants to get the best pick in the 2016 National Hockey League draft.
That would be the first choice overall and the right to announce the name of Auston Matthews, the consensus No. 1 selection.
The Maple Leafs players will do everything in their power to stop that from happening. It’s not that the Leafs of today don’t want the organization to have an opportunity to get its hands on a blue-chip prospect.
Though the front office has cleaned out regulars from the roster, including captain Dion Phaneuf, Roman Polak, Shawn Matthias and Nick Spaling, and will continue to try to do so leading up to the NHL trade deadline on Monday, the players wearing blue and white have a singular focus, and that’s on trying to win.