""That's my claim to fame, that's what I tell everybody about my Leaf career, I helped you guys get that number one pick," he said."
"'I helped Florida for a few years with some high picks too,' Matthias said. 'Got Barkov one year at second, and we actually came last, so we should have had what would have been Nathan MacKinnon. But Barkov worked out pretty well for Florida too.'"
"'Yeah, I would have loved to play there for 20 years,' Matthias said. 'It was special. I met with the Leafs before July 1st and had an idea that was a team I might go to. And the boyhood Leaf fan in me just kinda came out. I was like, that's where I wanna go, that's where I wanna sign. I knew Babcock from Detroit from being drafted there. I met with him before I signed and I liked what he was telling me.'"
Shawn Matthias was part of the Toronto group until he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for draft capital at the trade deadline. He jokes that his departure helped Toronto obtain a number one pick. Prior to Toronto, he spent time with the Florida Panthers during the years they drafted Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad, and notes the team once finished last when they might have picked Nathan MacKinnon. As a Mississauga native, Matthias describes playing for Toronto as a dream, praises learning from coach Mike Babcock, and says he passes those lessons on when teaching hockey.
Read at TheLeafsNation
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