Maple Leafs: Coyotes Reportedly Express Interest in Acquiring No. 1 Pick

The Arizona Coyotes have reportedly expressed serious interest in acquiring the No. 1 pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs, but at what cost?

Who says the NHL Draft isn’t exciting? Just when everyone in Leafs Nation started to think that it was a simple decision between Patrik Laine and Austin Matthews (even though all sane people still thought it was Matthews), alas a wrench was thrown into the mix following this tweet from Jimmy Murphy:

In one word, wow!

Now I don’t know whether this rumor is valid or not, or if this was actually proposed, but one thing I know for sure is that these teams have more than likely spoken to each other.

How long those conversations lasted is up for debate, but according to many others (Bob McKenzie and Elliotte Friedman for starters) there has at the very least been an internal discussion to gauge interest and the value of the pick.

This “proposed” deal makes logical sense though, with Matthews being from Scottsdale, Arizona and the idea of a hometown kid bringing the Coyotes a potential new arena makes a lot of sense.

For the Coyotes, Matthews is worth more to them, than to any other team because not only does he help them build a winner, he is walking proof that hockey in the state of Arizona isn’t a failure.

In my opinion, this is a trade that would help the Coyotes off the ice as much as it would on the ice.

For a team looking for help with a new building in either Phoenix, Scottsdale, or Tempe (to share with Arizona State University), Matthews helps much more than Domi, Dvorak, Strome, or the No. 7 overall pick ever would, and for that reason alone it makes sense.

Not only would having him as a player bring buzz to the team, it would also carry the label of being the No. 1 overall pick as well.

So while the Coyotes would surely be overpaying to acquire Matthews, for them, with their prospect cupboard, bounty of picks, young stars, and stable front office in place, they’re a team that is willing to gamble on solidifying their future in Arizona, and this would help.

From the Toronto Maple Leafs perspective, this seems like a starting point in my opinion. While Christian Dvorak, Max Domi, No. 7 overall, and No. 20 overall sounds like a lot, the Leafs are in a terrific place when it comes to leverage. So much so that I think they could squeeze another highly touted player out the Coyotes.

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If anything else this puts a value on the No. 1 overall pick and how much it would cost to get it.

Personally, I don’t see any way Norris trophy caliber defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is included in any deal for Matthews, but as a Leafs fan, it would be awfully hard to turn down No. 7, No. 20, Max Domi, and Christian Dvorak/Dylan Strome.

I don’t see the Leafs making a deal that doesn’t include a potential No. 1 center coming back, and I don’t see Arizona agreeing to a deal such as I proposed, but we still have a long way until draft night.

Next: Toronto Marlies Season Review and Grades

For a struggling franchise like the Coyotes, they are officially on the clock when it comes to making an offer palatable to Leafs management before June 24 or else their golden boy will be headed to Toronto and not Arizona.