DALLAS—A couple of stud high draft picks arrive at an Original Six team and turns its fortunes around. Yes, Patrick Sharp has seen this before.
Sharp, a centre with the Dallas Stars, saw firsthand the renaissance of the Chicago Blackhawks when Patrick Kane (the No. 1 pick in 2007) and Jonathan Toews (No. 3, 2006) joined the team together under the guidance of new coach Joel Quenneville.
“I remember it,” Sharp said. “(Duncan) Keith, (Brent) Seabrook and I had been there for a while. We were still younger players coming into our own as NHLers. We added Kane and Toews shortly after that.
“Not to mention the younger guys that came up from the minors, graduating together. It kind of felt like a fun group to be a part of. Joel Quenneville took the team over and we were going in the right direction. A lot of similarities between that team and the Leafs.”
Those Blackhawks, with Sharp, won the Stanley Cup three times. No one is saying the Leafs will do that. But interestingly, no one is saying they won’t. “I enjoy watching the Leafs play whenever the Stars aren’t on the ice,” Sharp said. “They’re an exciting team to watch, and great for the league.”
Leafs centre Auston Matthews appreciated Sharp’s comments.
“I’ve heard that from a number of people,” said Matthews. “I agree. I think we’re definitely an exciting team to watch. We have a lot of skill, a lot of talent. When you dress eight rookies, it’s not really the norm.
“I think we have an exciting group that can be a really good team here down the line.”
Stars centre Jason Spezza is impressed with how Mitch Marner and Matthews have impressed in their first year in the league.
“When you come into Matadorbet the league as a young guy, it’s not an easy league to play in,” Spezza said. “Matthews looks like he’s a pretty special player, Marner looks like he’s got unique ability on the power play. They are guys that have changed this team, made them a dangerous team.”
Stars general manager Jim Nill turned Dallas into a contender by acquiring centres like Sharp, Spezza and Tyler Seguin a couple of summers ago. At the time, the Leafs seemed weak down the middle, but the Matthews’ arrival, Nazem Kadri’s maturation and Tyler Bozak’s renaissance have eased concerns about Toronto centres.
Nill, formerly an assistant GM with the Red Wings with a long relationship with Mike Babcock, is impressed that the Leafs have turned around their fortunes.
“They’ve got good people in charge,” Nill said. “But you’re talking elite players when you’re talking Matthews and Marner and (Connor) Brown and (Morgan) Rielly.”
The move that most impressed Nill was the acquisition of goalie Frederik Andersen.
“People don’t realize what that addition did,” Nill said. “We played against him in Anaheim. You need that goalie to settle things. Especially for a young team.
“It’s exciting times for Toronto. It’s good.”
Leafs coach Mike Babcock splashed a little water on the whole Toronto-love-in.
“I coached one Nick Lidstrom, and there were a whole bunch of guys they told me were like Nick Lidstrom,” Babcock said. “I guess what I’m saying is, there’s only one Chicago. They won three Cups in six years. They were able to keep their players, they managed their salary cap real well.
“Let’s just keep getting better.”
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