Toronto Maple Leafs: Five Lessons I Learned from the Draft

June 23, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Timothy Liljegren greets NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being selected as the number seventeen overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
June 23, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Timothy Liljegren greets NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being selected as the number seventeen overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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Patience

Have you ever heard this line before when you want something really badly?

Just be patient, good things will happen.

Well, we’re all a little guilty of this one and that makes me one of the most guilty of them all because I really wanted the Leafs to trade that pick away.

I thought they could package it for the coveted defender they needed.

However, as the picks continued and there was still a surplus of defenders available by the time the Tampa Bay Lightning were up, I knew that patience was the name of the game.

And look what it brought us.

Now, I’d still be more than happy to see a trade, but at what cost?

That’s always the question.