The rebuilding process in Toronto was just pumped with a dramatic boost. In landing the No. 1 overall pick, and cashing in on the 20 percent chance that it would happen, the Maple Leafs landed the most important piece in a dramatic rebuild -- a franchise center.

“I don’t know if it changes the timetable, it certainly helps the plan for sure,” Toronto president Brendan Shanahan said during a conference call on Saturday night. “Getting No. 1 certainly helps.”

Assuming they take Auston Matthews first overall, the Leafs have the building block needed to expedite a return to the postseason and completely justify the painful process the Maple Leafs have gone through to get to this point -- although Shanahan wasn’t using words like justify or validation on Saturday night.

“The validation part isn’t in winning the lottery, because that’s up to fluke,” Shanahan said. “We will feel satisfaction and validation if and when we get to the point where we’re truly a Stanley Cup contending team.”