Bet Against Toronto Maple Leafs’ Odds to Draft Connor McDavid

In Toronto, the so-called centre of the hockey universe, only one name matters as the Stanley Cup playoffs near: Connor McDavid.

McDavid is pegged as the near-unanimous No. 1 overall selection at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and considering the Maple Leafs have been out of the playoff hunt for months, McDavid has been the beacon of hope for Toronto fans everywhere.

The problem is, as bad as the Maple Leafs have been this season, they can’t get any worse – for this year, anyway. They’re locked in at fourth-worst in the NHL have a 9.5 percent chance at landing the No. 1 overall pick. That’s where it will stay no matter the outcome of Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Right now Sports Interaction has the Maple Leafs set at +600 to win the NHL Draft No. 1 pick sweepstakes, behind Buffalo (+250), Arizona (+400), and Edmonton (+500).

If you’re a true fan, this is where you start praying that McDavid ends up somewhere, anywhere, but Toronto.

On the ice and in the dressing room, McDavid is a terrible fit as a Maple Leaf. One of the biggest problems with the Maple Leafs is their complete lack of leadership. They have a few veterans who have been around the block, but nobody that’s going to be able to help McDavid get ready to play in Toronto. Who’s going to bring McDavid under their wing? Dion Phaneuf? Please.

Phaneuf does more harm than good as the team’s captain and nobody else in the dressing room seems to want to take charge of the squad. If you throw McDavid into that garbage disposal, who knows how detrimental it will be to his development.

Plus, let’s be honest, the team is an absolute joke on the ice. That means more minutes for the young superstar whether he’s ready for them or not. The NHL game takes a while for any player to get used to, regardless of talent, and in Toronto, McDavid would be pushed into the spotlight. He’ll be on the front page the first time he goes through a five-game slump and unless he sets the league afire, whispers of “bust” will circulate to sell newspapers and solicit page views.

Really, anywhere is a better destination for McDavid than Toronto. Buffalo is a young team that’s rebuilding with that nucleus. McDavid could easily slide into that lineup and grow with his peers without unrealistic expectations. Same thing with Arizona.

But if you’re looking for the best fit for Connor McDavid look no further than the Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton has a stable of former No. 1 picks who will be able to help him manage the pressure and expectations that comes with that tag. Sure expectations would be high if he landed in Edmonton, but they have been for years. At some point, the Oilers are going to break out and when they do, they’ll have the depth to bring McDavid along slowly.

Just think of the possibilities. Could McDavid bring the Oilers back to the days of the 1980s? Wait, maybe that’s starting the hype train too soon. You’d think I was from Toronto or something.