BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen isn’t prone to hyperbole. His level-headed, calm approach to building a franchise is exactly what you want out of the guy in charge.

But even Kekalainen has allowed himself to imagine how franchise-altering the coming draft lottery could be if his Blue Jackets somehow get lucky.

“I think everybody who basically knows the playoffs are out of reach have looked at the percentages and thought about it,” Kekalainen said when we chatted in the lobby of the Boca Raton Resort and Club following the conclusion of this week’s general managers meetings.

And what if Columbus wins it?

“I’ve seen the players at the top of the draft this year. I’ve run the draft for two different NHL teams for 11 years, and not too often are there players of this caliber available,” Kekalainen said. “Everybody in this business knows how special those players are. The lottery is like winning the [actual] lottery.”

Kekalainen gave a laugh at his conclusion, but he’s exactly right. Landing the right to draft Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel in June’s draft changes everything for a franchise. It can cut a five-year rebuild in half. For a team like Columbus, it can take a season that’s been filled with bad luck and make it one that will be remembered for decades.

It also raises the question: Of the five teams currently at the bottom of the standings, which are best poised for the fastest turnaround if they get lucky in the lottery and land McDavid?

Here’s a look:

1. Toronto Maple Leafs (9.5 percent chance at getting the No. 1 pick)

The Maple Leafs are a train wreck. If there isn’t drama today in Toronto, just give it a couple of days and something will surface. But make no mistake, if this franchise suddenly landed Connor McDavid, their rebuild under Brendan Shanahan and GM Dave Nonis would skyrocket.