Arizona Coyotes Should Make Pitch for Toronto Maple Leafs Top Pick

Arizona Coyotes Missed out on Top Pick at NHL Draft Lottery, but It Shouldn’t Stop Them From Making a Pitch for Toronto Maple Leafs 1st Overall Selection

Arizona Coyotes were hoping to snag the 1st overall pick at this year’s draft with hometown kid Auston Matthews at the top of most draft boards. Unfortunately, the Yotes fell to 7th as they watched the Toronto Maple Leafs win the draft lottery.

Upon interview following the results, you could almost hear the disappointment in Matthews voice as he shared hesitant excitement.

These guys have been trained on how to deal with the media, so you’ll always hear Auston say the right things – but there’s no doubt, he would have loved to head home to Arizona.

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Prior to the draft lottery, CBC ran an interview with Auston Matthews. He shared his passion for the game growing up in the Desert. He expressed how he loved going to Coyotes games, watching his favorite players Shane Doan and Daniel Briere.

This isn’t a 4th round prospect who may never make it. We’re talking about a kid who was directly influenced by a small market that most believe hasn’t worked, and is likely to be forced to re-locate at some point.

Projected to be the first Hispanic-American to be taken 1st overall at the NHL Draft, Matthews is a marketing dream for the Arizona Coyotes. With higher volumes of Hispanic communities further south, it’s important for these smaller market teams to reach a bigger demographic in order to thrive.

More puck prose: NHL Mock Draft 4.5: Rounds 1-7

Playing Conspiracy Theorist

Given all of the above, let’s take a moment to play conspiracy theorist. By no means am I suggesting there is any truth or validity to the speculation, but as we know sometimes pieces fit together nicely to make a good conspiracy.

As we know, Arizona Coyotes relieved Don Maloney of his GM duties recently in a somewhat questionable move given the state of the franchise. What if Don Maloney sealed his fate the moment he publicly announced he wouldn’t trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson?

Logic would dictate the offer the Arizona Coyotes would need to make be so significant it couldn’t be passed up by the Toronto Maple Leafs. We’re talking Ekman-Larsson, a high-end prospect (Max Domi, Dylan Strome, Christian Dvorak), and their first rounder at the bare minimum. Realistically from a hockey point of view, it would make zero sense for Arizona based on what they’d need to give up.

At the same time, this might not be a hockey decision. Not only can Auston Matthews potentially save this franchise by putting more people in the seats, but he may be able to help the team and sport itself in the community. Certain U.S. cities/states are becoming hot spots for quality hockey talent (i.e. St.Louis), the Coyotes may see this as a golden opportunity to grow the game down South the way other NHL clubs have impacted their communities.

Next: Maple Leafs Win Draft Lottery, Matthews Presumable Top Pick

Even if it were true that Arizona makes a pitch for the 1st overall pick, there’s no guarantees the Toronto Maple Leafs will bite. They haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967 (50 year anniversary next season), and Wendel Clark in 1985 was the last time they picked in this position.

There’s a buzz/excitement in the city for what could be the best player since Mats Sundin. It would take one heck of an offer to pry that top pick away from Brendan Shanahan/Lou Lamiorello and company – but one must wonder if the Arizona Coyotes will at least make an attempt.

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