The animosity between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs is a secret to no one. As division rivals, hard feelings come with the territory. Plus, the two clubs are Original Six teams. That’s why there’s plenty of history to feed the rivalry.
But beyond the evident competition between both teams, Bruins could have just another reason to dislike the Maple Leafs.
That reason involves the Leafs evidently tanking this season. The Leafs have lost eight of their last ten. Since the Olympic break, Toronto has pretty much checked their game at the door. But if Boston fans think that’s a result of incompetence, there’s another dimension to it.
As explored in a previous piece, the Maple Leafs are vying to recoup their 2026 first-round pick. Now, last season, the Bruins got that pick in the Brandon Carlo deal. What no one really paid much attention to was the fact that the pick is top-five protected. After all, who would have thought that the Leafs would go from an Atlantic Division title last season to the bottom of the Eastern Conference?
Such is the way things can change in the NHL. And that situation opens the door for the Leafs to recover their pick. If they manage to pull a successful tank, Bruins fans will have one more powerful reason to boo the Leafs every time the two teams meet.
Bruins Could Lose 2026 1st-Rounder If Leafs Continue Freefall
The sad reality is that the Bruins could lose the Leafs’ 2026 first-rounder if Toronto continues to fall further in the standings.
Entering Thursday night’s action, the Leafs are projected to pick seventh. If that were to hold up, the Bruins could get the pick. No harm, no foul, at least from Boston’s perspective. From Toronto’s perspective, they might not like the situation, but that’s the deal they made last season.
That said, there is a situation in which the Bruins could lose the pick. The most immediate way would be the Leafs finishing in the bottom five. That would put the Leafs on track to recover their pick. If the Leafs finished in the bottom three, it would guarantee they keep the pick.
The reason for that is the NHL Draft Lottery. Even if the Leafs finished 28th overall, they could drop two spots in the draft order. That situation would return the pick to the Bruins.
The opposite is also possible.
Leafs Could Move Up in Draft Leaving Boston Without the Pick
There’s a chance that, even if the Leafs finished out of the bottom five, the Bruins could lose the pick. A team can move up as much as 10 spots in the Draft due to the Lottery. The New York Islanders were an example of that last season. The Isles moved from #10 to first overall.
If the Leafs finished out of the bottom five, but moved up in the NHL Draft Lottery, the Bruins would lose the pick as well.
If that were the case, Boston fans would miss an opportunity to land another high draft pick for the second straight season.
Bruins Fans Have Another Reason to Dislike Maple Leafs