<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="600" height="338" alt="" src="https://i0.wp.com/theleafsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/Image/Elevator%20shaft.jpg?resize=600%2C338&#038;ssl=1" /></p>
<p>Brian Burke has shown in the past that tanking for a draft pick is not something he&rsquo;s willing to consider.  At trade deadlines in the past, he&rsquo;s even done ludicrous things &ndash; such as adding Martin Gerber to a going-nowhere team in 2008-09 &ndash; to prove that fact.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, the Leafs are realistically out of things, eight points back of eighth place with 10 games remaining.  Barring the most miraculous of runs and some good fortune too, they&rsquo;re done.  The question now isn&rsquo;t whether or not they&rsquo;re in the playoffs; it&rsquo;s how high they&rsquo;ll select at the 2012 Draft.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>The Lottery Contenders</h3>
<p><style type="text/css">
table.tableizer-table {border: 1px solid #CCC; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;} .tableizer-table td {padding: 4px; margin: 3px; border: 1px solid #ccc;}
.tableizer-table th {background-color: #104E8B; color: #FFF; font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</p>
<table class="tableizer-table">
<tbody>
<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
<th>Rank</th>
<th>Team</th>
<th>Points</th>
<th>Games left</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1</td>
<td>Columbus</td>
<td>51</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2</td>
<td>Edmonton</td>
<td>63</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3</td>
<td>N.Y. Islanders</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4</td>
<td>Montreal</td>
<td>68</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>5</td>
<td>Minnesota</td>
<td>68</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>6</td>
<td>Carolina</td>
<td>69</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>7</td>
<td>Toronto</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>8</td>
<td>Anaheim</td>
<td>71</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>9</td>
<td>Tampa Bay</td>
<td>71</td>
<td>12</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Realistically, these nine teams are the only ones still in the running for a top-five draft pick.  Everyone else is still pushing for a playoff appearance.  Toronto is in decent shape, but still sits outside the top five.  Columbus and Edmonton aren&rsquo;t catchable at this point, but a simple elongation of the Leafs&rsquo; current ineptitude could see them finish as high as third overall in the pre-lottery draft rankings.</p>
<p>With so many of the teams Toronto needs to pass playing in the East, there are a lot of must-lose contests left on the schedule.  Toronto will play each of the Islanders, Hurricanes, Lightning and Canadiens over the remainder of their schedule.  Losses to each would go a long way toward solidifying their draft position.</p>
<h3>The Prize</h3>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="450" height="408" alt="" src="https://i0.wp.com/theleafsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/Image/662px-Filip_Forsberg_2010.jpg?resize=450%2C408&#038;ssl=1" /></p>
<p>With mostly a bunch of tightly-grouped defensemen available, does a jump in draft position really do much for the Leafs?  It&rsquo;s my opinion that it does.</p>
<p>First of all, a rise in draft position gives the Leafs a better shot at trading for the first overall pick.  Rumour has it that <a href="http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2012/03/11/are-the-columbus-blue-jackets-open-to-trading-the-potentially-first-overall-pick/">the Columbus Blue Jackets might be willing to move the pick</a> and Burke has showed previously that he&rsquo;s capable of some pretty impressive draft day maneuvering (it&rsquo;s how the Canucks landed both Sedins).</p>
<p>Secondly, we don&rsquo;t know what teams have on their final lists.  There&rsquo;s at least some possibility that Mikhail Grigorenko &ndash; typically seen as the second-best player available &ndash; slides, as both the Oilers and Blue Jackets aren&rsquo;t generally wild about Russians.  Alex Galchenyuk&rsquo;s been hurt for much of this season but might have been in the running for first overall, were he healthy.  Even hurt, there&rsquo;s a chance he&rsquo;s a top-five selection.  6&rsquo;2&rdquo; winger Filip Forsberg isn&rsquo;t likely to be around at 7th overall; he could develop into a first-line power forward.  Even among the defensemen, surely the Leafs would prefer their choice of Murray, Dumba, Trouba, Reilly and Reinhart over just taking whoever is left.</p>
<p>Tanking is an ugly thing, but at this point the Leafs are better off with a few losses now and a better draft pick in June than they are with a couple of entirely irrelevant wins between now and the end of the year.</p>
<h3>Recently At Leafs Nation</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://theleafsnation.com/2012/3/16/fresh-blood-unveiled">Fresh Blood Unveiled</a>: Leafs Nation is ready for a veritable clown car of new writing talent, and fortunately one seems to have pulled up.</li>
<li><a href="http://theleafsnation.com/2012/3/15/the-playoff-picture-what-should-leafs-fans-hope-for">Who Should Leafs Fans Hope For? </a>For those of you willing to embrace the tank, a guide to cheering in a Leafless playoffs.</li>
<li><a href="http://theleafsnation.com/2012/3/15/james-reimer-proves-goaltending-gets-better-with-age">Reimer: Better With Age</a>. The Leafs choked a must-lose against Tampa Bay, but some persist in seeing bright spots in the odd victory.</li>
<li><a href="http://theleafsnation.com/2012/3/14/the-toronto-maple-leafs-inevitable-regression">The Leafs Inevitable Regression</a>. The all-seeing eye of advanced statistics predicted this situation. Cam Charron wants to make sure nobody forgets that.</li>
</ul>

<p><img width="600" height="338" alt="" src="https://theleafsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/Image/Elevator shaft.jpg" /></p>
<p>Brian Burke has shown in the past that tanking for a draft pick is not something he&rsquo;s willing to consider.  At trade deadlines in the past, he&rsquo;s even done ludicrous things &ndash; such as adding Martin Gerber to a going-nowhere team in 2008-09 &ndash; to prove that fact.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, the Leafs are realistically out of things, eight points back of eighth place with 10 games remaining.  Barring the most miraculous of runs and some good fortune too, they&rsquo;re done.  The question now isn&rsquo;t whether or not they&rsquo;re in the playoffs; it&rsquo;s how high they&rsquo;ll select at the 2012 Draft.</p>

<h3>The Lottery Contenders</h3>
<p><style type="text/css">
table.tableizer-table {border: 1px solid #CCC; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;} .tableizer-table td {padding: 4px; margin: 3px; border: 1px solid #ccc;}
.tableizer-table th {background-color: #104E8B; color: #FFF; font-weight: bold;}
</style></p>
<table class="tableizer-table">
    <tbody>
        <tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
            <th>Rank</th>
            <th>Team</th>
            <th>Points</th>
            <th>Games left</th>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>1</td>
            <td>Columbus</td>
            <td>51</td>
            <td>12</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>2</td>
            <td>Edmonton</td>
            <td>63</td>
            <td>11</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>3</td>
            <td>N.Y. Islanders</td>
            <td>67</td>
            <td>11</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>4</td>
            <td>Montreal</td>
            <td>68</td>
            <td>10</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>5</td>
            <td>Minnesota</td>
            <td>68</td>
            <td>12</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>6</td>
            <td>Carolina</td>
            <td>69</td>
            <td>11</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>7</td>
            <td>Toronto</td>
            <td>70</td>
            <td>11</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>8</td>
            <td>Anaheim</td>
            <td>71</td>
            <td>10</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>9</td>
            <td>Tampa Bay</td>
            <td>71</td>
            <td>12</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>
<p>Realistically, these nine teams are the only ones still in the running for a top-five draft pick.  Everyone else is still pushing for a playoff appearance.  Toronto is in decent shape, but still sits outside the top five.  Columbus and Edmonton aren&rsquo;t catchable at this point, but a simple elongation of the Leafs&rsquo; current ineptitude could see them finish as high as third overall in the pre-lottery draft rankings.</p>
<p>With so many of the teams Toronto needs to pass playing in the East, there are a lot of must-lose contests left on the schedule.  Toronto will play each of the Islanders, Hurricanes, Lightning and Canadiens over the remainder of their schedule.  Losses to each would go a long way toward solidifying their draft position.</p>
<h3>The Prize</h3>
<p><img width="450" height="408" alt="" src="https://theleafsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/Image/662px-Filip_Forsberg_2010.jpg" /></p>
<p>With mostly a bunch of tightly-grouped defensemen available, does a jump in draft position really do much for the Leafs?  It&rsquo;s my opinion that it does.</p>
<p>First of all, a rise in draft position gives the Leafs a better shot at trading for the first overall pick.  Rumour has it that <a href="http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2012/03/11/are-the-columbus-blue-jackets-open-to-trading-the-potentially-first-overall-pick/">the Columbus Blue Jackets might be willing to move the pick</a> and Burke has showed previously that he&rsquo;s capable of some pretty impressive draft day maneuvering (it&rsquo;s how the Canucks landed both Sedins).</p>
<p>Secondly, we don&rsquo;t know what teams have on their final lists.  There&rsquo;s at least some possibility that Mikhail Grigorenko &ndash; typically seen as the second-best player available &ndash; slides, as both the Oilers and Blue Jackets aren&rsquo;t generally wild about Russians.  Alex Galchenyuk&rsquo;s been hurt for much of this season but might have been in the running for first overall, were he healthy.  Even hurt, there&rsquo;s a chance he&rsquo;s a top-five selection.  6&rsquo;2&rdquo; winger Filip Forsberg isn&rsquo;t likely to be around at 7th overall; he could develop into a first-line power forward.  Even among the defensemen, surely the Leafs would prefer their choice of Murray, Dumba, Trouba, Reilly and Reinhart over just taking whoever is left.</p>
<p>Tanking is an ugly thing, but at this point the Leafs are better off with a few losses now and a better draft pick in June than they are with a couple of entirely irrelevant wins between now and the end of the year.</p>
<h3>Recently At Leafs Nation</h3>
<ul>
    <li><a href="http://theleafsnation.com/2012/3/16/fresh-blood-unveiled">Fresh Blood Unveiled</a>: Leafs Nation is ready for a veritable clown car of new writing talent, and fortunately one seems to have pulled up.</li>
    <li><a href="http://theleafsnation.com/2012/3/15/the-playoff-picture-what-should-leafs-fans-hope-for">Who Should Leafs Fans Hope For? </a>For those of you willing to embrace the tank, a guide to cheering in a Leafless playoffs.</li>
    <li><a href="http://theleafsnation.com/2012/3/15/james-reimer-proves-goaltending-gets-better-with-age">Reimer: Better With Age</a>. The Leafs choked a must-lose against Tampa Bay, but some persist in seeing bright spots in the odd victory.</li>
    <li><a href="http://theleafsnation.com/2012/3/14/the-toronto-maple-leafs-inevitable-regression">The Leafs Inevitable Regression</a>. The all-seeing eye of advanced statistics predicted this situation. Cam Charron wants to make sure nobody forgets that.</li>
</ul>

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