There was a worry heading toward the NHL trade deadline that the Toronto Maple Leafs wouldn’t get a first-round pick back in any trades.
They’ve already gotten one, though. They sent Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday to get a top-10 protected 2027 first-round pick (and it seems unlikely the Avalanche are a bottom-10 team next season, so that will likely convey).
The question now becomes whether Toronto can get more.
As it stands, their 2026 first-rounder is top-five protected. If it’s outside the top-five picks, it goes to the Boston Bruins.
Toronto could certainly use an additional first-rounder to keep building in the proper direction.
Their remaining top trade candidates are Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton. So can the Leafs get a first-round pick from any of them?
David Pagnotta told Daily Faceoff that he thinks it’s possible.
“I anticipate if they move OEL that a first-round pick or something of equivalent value will be part of that package,” Pagnotta began.
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McMann also has at least the potential for a similar return, although it’s not certain.
“With McMann, I know they’ve been pushing for a first in that return,” Pagnotta writes. “I don’t know if it gets there. I think if they were to allow a possible extension in place, that would probably secure it, but I don’t think that’s part of the equation yet, and I don’t suspect that they’ll go there.”
Laughton, although worth a first-rounder last year, likely isn’t now.
“With Laughton, you’re probably looking at a second-round pick and a prospect there,” Pagnotta writes.
If Toronto adds one or two more first-round picks before Friday’s deadline, that’s a big deal and a win.
