Aki-Petteri Pulkkinen
Toronto’s number one booking is the best for the NHL at the moment, writes NHL journalist Aki-Petteri Pulkkinen.
Matt Sundin (left) and John Chayka had a fluke. PDO
Everything is fine in Toronto after all?
The mecca of hockey in Toronto has had enough twists and turns this week.
At the beginning of the week, the most significant single organization in the hockey world organized a media event where it introduced its new GM John Chayka and club legend Matt Sundin, who assists him in his work.
Chayka’s hiring was teased already in the rumor stage, and after it was confirmed, the media let it burn.
Toronto Sun reporter Steve Simmons criticized Chayka’s hiring of Whole Woods (MLSE) owner Keith Pelley while the new GM listened to the rant next door.
This slander contest in a certain way described the whole sad season and situation of Toronto.
But let’s not rush.
Toronto, which is on the verge of chaos, miraculously happened to win the lottery and get the number one reservation for the next summer’s NHL booking event.
Toronto had an 8.5 percent chance of winning the top seed. Chance was fifth best.
Riggedon social media it was said. This meant that the lottery draw had been tampered with.
Even so, can the NHL be blamed for that?
There has been a lot of buzz in the NHL in recent years, when the biggest and most interesting team in the series, Toronto, has played in the playoffs. Now the club is in such a confused situation that it threatens to turn into a chronic regular season team that has no business in the spring games.
The NHL couldn’t afford that.
Even if Vancouver (18.5 percent probability) “deserved” a better reward for their painful season than just a triple booking.
Teams that had a better chance of a top pick than Toronto hardly forget Sundin’s extremely wide smile for a moment. His smile downright subdued all the other clubs participating in the lottery.
Fair or not, Toronto’s number one pick is the best for the NHL right now. Just a couple of days ago it was considered a complete garbage fire, now it gets to book either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg and everything looks brighter.
