It wasn't very different than your typical drive down the Queen Elizabeth Way to see the Toronto Maple Leafs in Buffalo. The First Niagara Center venue was the same, except this time, the trip wasn't to play the Sabres, but to pick up the future of the franchise.
Auston Matthews got a full dose of what it was like to be a Maple Leaf on Friday night. The Buffalo fans were hostile when Toronto took the podium to select its first overall selection, while Maple Leafs fans were passionate - especially a row of them wearing "Auston 20:16" t-shirts.
Change is good
Toronto's management team has been hard at work over the last two years putting the right pieces together to transform its team. First, Brendan Shanahan became team president. After gutting the front office and hiring new bodies, Toronto lured Mike Babcock out of Detroit in May 2015. The team was filled out when Lou Lamoriello was named general manager in July of last year.
On Friday, once Lamoriello passed the microphone to director of player personnel Mark Hunter to announce Toronto's first No. 1 pick since 1985, it was finally official. Matthews was a Toronto Maple Leaf. He embraced his family and friends, who got him to this point. The kid from Arizona, who made a stop in Switzerland, will now ply his trade in the pressure cooker that is Toronto.
"It’s going to be an adjustment for sure, but I think it's something that I can handle well," Matthews said. "Over time, I'll get better at it."
On stage, Matthews became the first player to wear the new Maple Leafs' jersey emblazoned with the club's new logo. The moment was symbolic of the transformation the franchise has gone through over the past year.
Pain and patience
Judging by fan sentiment during the 2015-16 rebuilding season in which Toronto finished last, Matthews should have a lot of rope to get acquainted with the NHL. However, given recent moves the Maple Leafs have made, the need to produce wins will be significantly higher than last season.
But Matthews can't do it alone.
"Hockey is a team game, there really is no savior," Matthews said. "I want to be an impact player. A centerman, a No. 1 centerman in the NHL, that's my ultimate goal."
The Maple Leafs have ensured a crop of young talent will surround Matthews as he adjusts. Skilled forwards William Nylander and Nikita Soshnikov will likely play full seasons with the big club. Mitch Marner is also a candidate to join the Maple Leafs, since the American Hockey League isn't an option.
"Those young guys, Marner and Nylander, are two very special players," Matthews said. "It's definitely exciting and I'm looking forward," he added.
Later in the draft, the Sabres selected Nylander’s brother Alexander, adding another wrinkle to the Buffalo-Toronto rivalry.
Fast forward
The cadence by which the Maple Leafs have built their team has seemingly accelerated, and it all stems from the night of April 30, when Toronto won the draft lottery. Immediately, the franchise saw what could be possible with something it hasn't had in 31 years - first dibs.
Last week, Toronto made a move to solidify its goaltending, acquiring Frederik Andersen from the Anaheim Ducks for a pair of draft picks. The club immediately locked him up to a five-year contract, giving him the title of No. 1 goaltender.
It appeared to be a decision that resembled Toronto goaltending trades of the past, but management was quick to caution.
"Please, be assured that the thought process of the plan is in place, we're not pushing it forward," Lamoriello said in a conference call with reporters after acquiring Andersen. "We've said all along that if we were able to put ourselves in a position to get better and not interrupt what we are doing, we would do it. And I believe that's what we tried to do today."
Comparing Matthews to center Connor McDavid, last year's No. 1 pick, may be a bit unfair, but Shanahan's comments prior to the lottery were quite telling.
"It would certainly speed things up" Shanahan said when asked about drafting first overall would mean. Before he could answer the next question, he added, "I’m sorry, I'm still smiling at that last one."
Shanahan's comments were reaffirmed when Lamoriello looked back on Friday night.
"Today was twofold. This draft gave us the ability to come out of here better up front as far as getting a talented young man who can play center. And also getting a goaltender," the 73-year-old said. "It was because of this draft, we were able to get a goaltender."
Looking ahead
Toronto has clearly been licking its chops since realizing it would be adding Matthews. Now, the focus shifts to free agency, with the window to talk to potential additions opening Saturday.
"Everyone has always told me when (Toronto's) winning, it's the best place to be in the league," Matthews said. "That’s something I'm looking forward to."
With the good comes the bad, but Toronto hasn't given any indication it's deviating too much from the master plan, even if it has accelerated quite a bit since that fateful night in late April.
