A painful 2015-16 campaign for the Toronto Maple Leafs finally came to an end Saturday with a 5-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils.
Related: Maple Leafs finish last, have best draft lottery odds
With the win the Maple Leafs locked up the 30th spot in the NHL standings, giving them the best chance at landing the coveted first overall pick in this year's draft, a pick that should help bring balance to the club's future.
"The future of our organization is very bright," head coach Mike Babcock siad, according to TSN's Mark Masters. "There's still some pain coming, but we're going to get a lot better very fast."
It's that same trade-off that those pulling for a last place finish have been craving.
"Short-term pain for long-term gain," said Babcock. "Don't get me wrong, it's hard to do, it's tough, it's way more fun winning."
Babcock admits he isn't sure exactly how the draft lottery will play out, only that the team should have a decent pick when all is said and done.
"I don’t know how all the odds stack up, but I know the latest we can pick is fourth ... there you go. We got (at least) the fourth pick," said Babcock.
Next to the draft Babcock feels the team will be active during free agency suggesting the outcome of that should bring almost instant success.
"We'll be prepared for free agency and make sure we have a team that isn't missing the playoffs," Babcock said, according to Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star.
All just part of the plan.
