It’s as if the schedule maker is rubbing Brian Burke’s nose in it.

Over the next five games, the Maple Leafs are facing teams that have built through — or are building through — incredibly high draft choices: Tampa, Edmonton, Boston, Washington and Pittsburgh.

They all have a No. 1 overall, or No. 2 overall — and sometimes both — in their system. The Leafs? Well, despite having last been in the playoffs in 2004, they have only picked 1st overall once (1985, Wendel Clark) since the introduction of the entry draft and have never picked second.

You only have to look at the scoring race to understand how valuable the top two picks are.

Heading into Monday’s games, five of the top eight goal scorers were No. 1s or No. 2s. Steve Stamkos (No. 1, 2008), Sidney Crosby (No. 1, 2005), Daniel Sedin (No. 2, 1999), Rick Nash (No. 1, 2002) and Bobby Ryan (No. 2, 2005).

“Two out of three years, there are two or three guys in the draft that are franchise players who — within two years — are going to turn your organization around,” said Tampa GM Steve Yzerman, himself a fourth overall pick in 1983. “They're hard to get.

“If you're in a position drafting 1 or 2 and you’re lucky that happens to be one of those years, it can jump-start your franchise in a real hurry.”

Interestingly, Burke drafted two of those players — Sedin when he ran the Canucks; Ryan when he ran the Ducks. But he has chosen a different path with the Maple Leafs, as the Phil Kessel trade indicates. He sent two first-round picks and a second-round pick to Boston for Kessel. One of those picks was last year’s No. 2 overall, which the Bruins used to select Tyler Seguin.

Burke wanted to get better in a hurry by acquiring an elite scorer in Kessel, (a fifth-overall pick in 2006).

So-called franchise players more often than not come from the top spot of the draft — think Mario Lemieux, Joe Thornton, Eric Lindros, Mike Modano and a for a Toronto flare, Clark and Mats Sundin. How hard is it to trade for a franchise player in his prime? Consider the Maple Leafs had to trade away their captain — Clark — to Quebec for Sundin, their future captain.

“You need to keep your draft picks and be patient and allow them to develop as players,” said Yzerman. “I believe it more so now that with the system we're in. You need young players coming into your organization almost on an annual basis because you need affordable players to fill out your roster. The way to do that is to constantly bring in young players.

“Unrestricted free agents on July, those players are very expensive. It’s difficult to build your team on July 1. You need a stream of draft picks coming into your organization. That's what we're going to do.”

The Leafs, meanwhile, have to hope that the young draft picks they have — Luke Schenn (No. 5, 2008) and Nazem Kadri (No. 7, 2009) — pay off in this post-lockout era. The historically impatient Leafs don’t have a first-round pick in 2011, didn’t have one in 2010 or 2007, and traded away their top picks in 2006 (Juri Tlusty, No. 13) and 2005 (Tuukka Rask, No. 21).

A look at Toronto’s next five opponents and how top picks in the draft have impacted their franchise.

Tampa Bay Lightning (Tuesday, Air Canada Centre)

Stamkos has been everything the team could have hoped for, taking the mantle of franchise player from captain Vincent Lecavalier (No. 1, 1998). Victor Hedman (No. 2, 2009) is showing signs of being that franchise defenceman, second among Lightning blueliners in terms of average time on ice. The Lightning should make the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Edmonton Oilers (Thursday, Air Canada Centre)

GM Steve Tambellini declined to be interviewed for this story, most likely because his team continues to struggle. At the moment, last in the NHL, the team is heading for another top pick. The heralded Taylor Hall (No. 1, 2010) could benefit from the kind of tutelage Stamkos got from Lecavalier. Hall has five goals and six assists, and is a minus-6.

Boston Bruins (Saturday, Air Canada Centre)

GM Peter Chiarelli’s Bruins are a legitimate Stanley Cup contender that is regenerating — thanks to the Leafs — while it is winning. Tyler Seguin (No. 2, 2010) is the first gift they received thanks to the Phil Kessel trade. Seguin has four goals and four assists — nothing to brag about — but he’s surrounded by superior talent. The Leafs could end up in the draft lottery this year, giving the Bruins a second high pick that will have fans at the TD Garden shouting “Thank You, Kessel” for years.

Washington Capitals (Monday, Verizon Centre)

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Alex Ovechkin (No. 1, 2004) appears to have discovered there’s no reason to blow your brains out scoring 50-plus goals in the regular season if you can’t win in the playoffs. He may be conserving energy, but he’s still dynamic. The Capitals are one of the hottest teams in the league, buzz-wise, and routinely sell out.

Pittsburgh Penguins (Wednesday, Dec. 8, Consol Energy Centre)

Here’s a team whose recent Stanley Cup championship and new arena is built on No. 1s and 2s — Crosby, Evgeni Malkin (No. 2, 2004), Marc-Andre Fleury (No. 1, 2003) and (although he’s injured now) Jordan Staal (No. 2, 2006).

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