It feels like the sky is already falling for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and one scribe is already looking at the long-term picture, assuming the Maple Leafs’ struggles aren’t temporary. After six straight losses, the Maple Leafs don’t have many options to turn things around.
They can’t make a trade to add any significant cap hit. They can’t acquire a player with a term due to their tagging issues. The team has several no-trade clauses, making other moves challenging. And one thing that could come back to bite them is their decision to trade their first-round pick in 2027.
That is, unless the Colorado Avalanche struggle as well.
Is the Maple Leafs Future Riding on the Avs Season?
Toronto won’t have its own first-rounder in 2027 or 2028. The one it does hold belongs to Colorado, making it a valuable asset if the Avs drop down the standings. The pick is top-10 protected, so there’s a limit to how low it can drop this summer. But if it slides to a 2028 pick, that too is significant.
With Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar out with injuries, it becomes more interesting.
If the Avalanche slide in the standings, the pick could climb in value. Perhaps it’s a stretch to suggest Toronto’s future is riding on where that pick lands, but it’s not a small thing.
What are Toronto’s Options With Colorado’s Pick?
There isn’t likely anything the Maple Leafs can do to stop the bleeding currently. Long-term, however, that pick could be a gamechanger.
Option 1: Trade it. The pick could be the centerpiece of a deal for a top-pairing defenseman, giving the Leafs an immediate upgrade on the blue line. The worse the Avalanche do, the more Toronto can get in a trade that includes the pick.
They’ll have to hold on to that draft pick until teams better understand its real value, but the worse Colorado does, the better for the Maple Leafs.
Toronto may also have to make the trade bigger than a pick for a player swap. The Maple Leafs would need to move salary out if they’re taking salary back.
Option 2: Keep it. If Toronto holds onto the pick, Peter Baracchini of The Hockey Writers predicts that the selection would likely fall in the 18-23 range, where he says several intriguing prospects could be available:
- Cooper McAslan, RD, London Knights (OHL): A steady two-way defender with 20 points in 20 games as a rookie.
- Kayden Stroeder, C, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL): A tenacious forward with 18 points in 17 games.
- Levi Harper, RD, Saginaw Spirit (OHL): A high-upside offensive defenseman with 18 points this season, though he is less reliable defensively.
- Aleks Kulemin, C, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL): The son of former Leaf Nikolai Kulemin, with 19 points in 21 games.
- Ryerson Edgar, C, Niagara IceDogs (OHL): A point-per-game player known for his hockey sense and pesky style.
Either path could matter. Moving the pick could address a need now, while using it could add a young prospect to the pipeline.
With no other first-round picks coming in the next two drafts, Colorado’s selection may be the Leafs’ most important chip.
The Avalanche Pick That Could Change the Maple Leafs’ Future