Connor Zary is expected to be selected in the first round of Tuesday's NHL Draft (Image Credit: Allen Douglas / Kamloops Blazers)

By Chad Klassen

2020 NHL DRAFT

‘It’ll be just as special’: Blazers’ Zary looking at positives ahead of virtual NHL Draft

Oct 6, 2020 | 8:44 AM

KAMLOOPS — Connor Zary grew up cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs. On Tuesday night, Toronto could be the team that picks him to add to an already offensively-talented group.

“I kind of started watching when [Mats] Sundin was playing. It’s kind of my dad’s team, so that’s who I cheered for,” noted Zary on a Zoom call from his home in Saskatoon. “Then obviously the last few years they’ve been pretty exciting with guys like [Mitch] Marner and [Auston] Matthews and [William] Nylander and [John] Tavares and guys like that. That’s my team. They’ve been pretty fun to watch.”

Zary’s offensive flare would fit right into the Leafs, but it all depends if GM Kyle Dubas wants to build a better defense around this underachieving core. According to various mock drafts, Zary is projected to go as early as 15th overall to Toronto and as late as 21st to Columbus.

For the 19-year-old from Saskatoon, he’s preparing for a new favourite team. He knows it’ll come down to a team’s particular wants and needs.

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“(I’m) feeling pretty good. Like I’ve said to people before, I think every team has the guy they want and obviously every team has a different list and every team’s list is going to look different, depending on what they need at forward or a D-man or a goalie in some cases in the first round,” he said. “It’ll be exciting and a fun time tomorrow night for sure and hopefully all goes well.”

The Zary family will host a small gathering at their Saskatoon home. Connor won’t get to experience walking up on stage, but he’s looking at the positives. In this virtual draft world, he’s actually able to be with more of his family.

“I think it’ll be just as special. It would obviously be the coolest moment getting your name called and going down on stage and getting the jersey,” said Zary. “But I think just being home and being able to have a few more family members. I probably would only be going with my parents and maybe my grandma, but now I can have a couple uncles and cousins and stuff like that, so I think that’ll be a pretty special moment at home.”

Tuesday is the biggest day of his life, but Zary is going to try to make it as normal as possible.

“Me and my family will probably try to go out for breakfast in the morning and spend a little time together, then I think I’m going to still go to hockey practice tomorrow — stay in the swing of things. Why change things? It’s going good. May as well get out on the ice and not bask in my thoughts all day about what’s going to happen at night.”