Bottom-feeding teams usually get rewarded with the best draft picks, but that may not be the case for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.

That’s because of a trade GM Brad Treliving made last season, meaning Toronto’s draft pick might be made by the Boston Bruins. The Leafs’ first-round pick will go to Boston unless it’s a top-five pick.

Though the odds of getting a top-five pick are seemingly improving by the day, as Auston Matthews is injured and the Leafs have won just two of their last 11 games. 

Toronto entered Tuesday with the eighth-worst points percentage in the NHL, giving them a 12.5 per cent chance at moving up through the lottery (1st: 6%, 2nd: 6.3%, 3rd: 0.2%). 

NHL.com

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The only way to improve those odds is to lose more games and fall further down the standings. Toronto is currently sitting in 24th in the NHL standings, and could realistically fall behind teams like the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, and New York Rangers.

NHL.comIf the Leafs allow all those teams to pass them, they would be the fourth-worst team in the league, giving them a 78.9% chance at a top-five pick (1st: 9.5%, 2nd: 9.5%, 3rd: o.3%, 4th: 15.1%, 5th: 44.5%). 

Lead photo by

Sergei Belski/Imagn Images