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Lou Lamoriello met with the media ahead of the 2017 NHL Draft. Full remarks below.


How important is it to build through the draft?

Lamoriello: I think it’s essential. There is no question about it. Just look at the Leafs today and look at the key players as far as where they came from.

Two seasons in, how do you characterize where your team is?

Lamoriello: I’ll tell you more about that maybe a couple of months into next year. I think we all know that this year went better than anybody might have expected. We didn’t know exactly where our young players would be, how quickly it would take for them to develop. They were outstanding. Now, the next year is difficult because you’re not going to sneak up on anybody. The parity in the league is not going to change. You look at the teams that, prior to last season going in, what you thought they might be and where they would be… they’re not going to go away. They’re going to come right back. We’ll find out more and how we handle that and how much improved we are and what our players do during the summer to get better. It’s on them.

When you approach this weekend and July 1 and everything that comes after that, do you have a checklist of things you’d like to accomplish? Or how do you approach it?

Lamoriello: Oh yes. More so than last year because you know more about what the foundation is right now. You certainly have a wishlist, but that’s about where it’s at.

When it comes to Vegas, you lose Brendan Leipsic. Did you try something creative with them to do something else? I know you talked to them twice.

Lamoriello: You really think I’m going to talk about that?

I thought maybe in generic terms you might say what it was like dealing with them.

Lamoriello: The 30 teams try to do something or tried to do something. If not, you’re not doing your job. I think that’s what everybody should be doing when you have a situation like this. I can run back to the last one New Jersey went through. We were able to get a player that was acquired. These things sometimes work out and sometimes they don’t. If you don’t try, you’re never going to have success.

Does the success of Pittsburgh make you more optimistic for where your team is at and what they can do in the future?

Lamoriello: That’s the worst thing you can do, Steve, is look at the success another team has. What you have to continue to do is compete against yourselves — not anybody else. Just get to be the best you possibly can, not compare; not look left or look right. I don’t know any other way of thinking about it.

Auston was asked about the expectations entering the season. He seemed to welcome them. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?

Lamoriello: Absolutely. All of us want to be challenged and want to have people believe in you. There is nothing wrong with expectations as long as you prepare the right way you can and give yourself every opportunity to have success. That’s a positive thing.

Watching him last night, he looked like he’s almost grown five years in one, just watching him on the stage and how composed he was and how he seemed to enjoy the moment. I thought he was composed at the draft last year in Buffalo, but this is a whole different guy.

Lamoriello: I don’t know if he’s a different guy. From day one, as far as the first game and the success he had and how he handled it, I thought the press conference after the game showed you how mature he was. He pointed the finger at himself as far as what went wrong with a mistake rather than taking the accolades of what he did. He’s a mature young man. We have quite a few of them and it’s our responsibility to try to keep them here.

Do you think the rookies ended up challenging each other, all of them coming in hungry to play in the NHL?

Lamoriello: I don’t know if they were challenging each other or just enjoyed having success with each other. Everybody has pride. You want to be as good as you can be. If it’s a challenge like you said — great.

Is it more likely that you fill a need on defence through trade, or do you see free agency as a [possibility]?

Lamoriello: That’s a difficult question to answer. If we knew that answer, I don’t think we’d be here right now. We’d have something done.

You’re not close on anything?

Lamoriello: That’s not a question I’d even contemplate answering.

What is the status of your second goaltender?

Lamoriello: Right now we do not have a backup goaltender. That is a hole, certainly, we have to fill.

Joffrey Lupul was deemed by the league to be healthy enough to be eligible for the expansion draft. Do you anticipate he’ll be around in training camp?

Lamoriello: First of all, Joffrey had his exit physical and he did not pass his exit physical. He will continue to do rehab but he has not passed his physical. That list that was sent out really had nothing to do with anyone who was on Long Term Injury or had injuries. These were people who the league made a decision on.

How would you characterize the quality of players available in this draft compared to past years?

Lamoriello: That’s a question we ask every year. There are quality players. Sometimes it’s fun to go back and look at the draft years in the past. I see sometimes re-drafts of the past years, and it’s always an education. There are good players available. It’s our job to get the right ones.

Have you had talks with Matt Hunwick’s camp?

Lamoriello: That’s something I won’t discuss.

Where do you see your defence right now? You have, obviously, four guys that are returning with contracts and possibly some others who were up and down.  How do you see where you are and where you need to go?

Lamoriello: If we can improve our defence, that’s something we’re certainly going to do. I think that’s every area. We want to get better everywhere. If we can do that, we’re going to do it. It’s obvious that we’d like to get somebody to make us better, but we’d be happy with the people we have. The improvement in our defence and the way we played, and the goals we didn’t give up — we got better and better. We’re happy with our defence, but we’ll try to get better everywhere.

The way Vegas picked last night, and the way they already dealt some of the defencemen… in talking to a GM this morning, he thinks the defence market is going to be the most active it has in a long time. Is that the way you view it?

Lamoriello: I guess we’ll find out soon, huh?

Is Brian Boyle a player you’ve had talks with about coming back?

Lamoriello: I’ve spoken to Brian. We haven’t had any conversations about the future. Our conversations were about his new baby and how things are going. We haven’t had any discussions [otherwise].

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