On Wednesday night, it was all good news for the San Jose Sharks as they punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history. But with that, came good news for the Toronto Maple Leafs. I know what you’re thinking and no, I’m not crazy.
Those who were paying attention back in February when the Maple Leafs went on their trading spree might remember that Toronto moved platoon goalie James Reimer to the Sharks along with forward Jeremy Morin. In return, the Leafs acquired goalie Alex Stalock, forward Ben Smith and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL draft.
Still confused? Well, the condition on the fourth-round pick is that the pick becomes a third-round pick if the Sharks make the Stanley Cup. So, with the Sharks taking down the Blues and heading to the finals, it means the Leafs will get a third-round pick in 2018 from San Jose.
Since joining San Jose, Reimer played eight games with a record of 6-2. He posted a 1.62 goals against average and a .938 save percentage while notching three shutouts in his short stint with the Sharks. He’s seen just 30 minutes in the playoffs allowing one goal during that span.
While it may not seem like a big deal from a Maple Leafs standpoint, it does move Toronto up a full round in the 2018 draft. With that considered, here are some of the third round picks from the past five years.
In 2011, the Florida Panthers selected Vincent Trocheck 64th overall in the third round. Shayne Gostisbehere, Matt Murray and Colton Parayko were all taken in the third round in 2012, while Oliver Bjorkstrand and Anthony Duclair went in 2013.
There is something to look forward to for the Leafs and their fans with this updated pick registry for 2018. And while they’ll look ahead to the drafts of the future, the Sharks are looking right around the corner at their chance for the NHL’s holy grail.