from Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star,

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in last place in the NHL, the first time the club has dipped that low in the standings since 1997.

But Leafs fans are not necessarily gloomy.

They understand that last place overall means the Leafs will have the best odds at the projected first overall pick this summer — Auston Matthews — when the NHL holds its lottery for the top overall pick in the June draft.
The Leafs are in a very tight race among the bottom four teams in the NHL after Monday night’s games. Only three points separate those four teams — Buffalo (52 points), Columbus (52), Edmonton (50) and Toronto (49).

Here’s a look at the remaining games for those four teams (before Tuesday night games):

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