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TSN Director of Scouting

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With the NHL Draft Lottery over, check out our first mock draft going into the 2016 NHL Draft in June.

To me, it's set up perfectly for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They had a plan to acquire draft picks and instill a mindset in their group. They wanted to try out some young players.

And now, they have the first overall pick and the prize is Auston Matthews.

This team already has Mitch Marner, Nikita Soshnikov and William Nylander in the fold and Nazem Kadri is a No. 2 centreman. They don't have a No. 1.

Now the Maple Leafs have the opportunity to take a complete, elite No. 1 centre.

To me, that is as much a no-brainer as a no-brainer gets.

 

TSN's Post-Lottery Mock Draft

 
No.  Team Selection Pos G A PTS
1 Tor Auston Matthews C 24 22 46
2 Wpg Patrik Laine LW 17 16 33
3 Clb Jesse Puljujarvi RW 13 15 28
4 Edm Pierre-Luc Dubois LW 42 57 99
5 Van Logan Brown C 21 53 74
6 Cgy Matthew Tkachuk LW 30 77 107
7 Ari Alex Nylander RW 28 47 75
8 Buf Olli Juolevi D 9 33 42
9 Mtl Tyson Jost C 42 62 104
10 Col Mikhail Sergachev D 17 40 57
11 NJD Clayton Keller C 13 24 37
12 Ott Jakob Chychrun D 11 38 49
13 Car Michael McLeod C 21 40 61
14 Bos Charlie McAvoy D 3 22 25