It's nice to finally have a management group that doesn't chase instant gratification, and amazing how fast lady luck smiled on us - our first full season of a tear down resulting in a first overall pick in a year with a Franchise-to-Near-Generational upside Centre available. The abandonment of trying to draft low ceiling/high floor players I think has also helped, we certainly have some guys in the pipeline now who's stock has risen dramatically since their drafts.
I think the win-now segment of Leafs Nation will come around when they get to see the kids start to play, even this year before the team is good, because at least the results of being bad will be tangible on the ice. I still have a friend who wants to see them trade the prospects to go after a cup right away (including the big 3 if necessary), but I've definitely seen a change in the attitude of most of the leaf fans I know and they now seem content to wait and watch en route to a sustainable contender. I guess there's no guarantees that it works, but outside of Edmonton it seems to have worked for everyone and I think even the Oilers will have to get really good with all of those high picks.
For me this has always been an easy side of the debate to pick based simple on the understanding that if you draft and develop your own team you
control your own destiny through your actions and your scouting abilities.
If you therefore play for a high draft pick by positioning the roster to finish low (accepting the consequences of draft rebuild) you get to step up to the podium and draft your #1C Matthews and fill a key core building block.
However if you think "draft schmaft" and you can sign and trade your way to success, then you were holding your breath for the last 2 years thinking Stamkos was going to come home and fill that #1C spot on your team. You have zero control over what happens with who might hit the market in trade or UFA and your destiny is in the hands of others and
uncontrollable for you.
Shanny taking the smart and controllable draft your core now has all of Leaf Nation excited with cheering for Matthews. I'm 1 million % on board with "play the kids".. I'm also so thankful that our new management team didn't put all their eggs in the uncontrollable basket of killing time banking on Stamkos to come and lead the team forward and we would be left wheel spinning now going nowhere.
Drafting and developing
You control the process, you simply hire the best people and the go up the podium and announce who you are proud to select with your draft pick. While Signing/Trading
You Don't Control the process and are at the mercy of others to effect your future based on what becomes available or when it does and at what cost to obtain it.. This is the core basis for Building success verses trying to Buy success in that understanding.