The Maple Leafs have now officially lost six in a row following Thursday night’s shellacking at the hands of the New York Rangers. The loss was bad enough, but it could just be part of the team’s NHL Trade deadline strategy.
The Maple Leafs knew they didn’t have the gas to make a solid playoff push. But the way they have dropped their last six games signals that the team just isn’t even trying anymore. While that could just be Craig Berube losing the room, it might also be a focus on tanking one season in hopes of turning things around the next.
The biggest issue lies in the Maple Leafs’ 2026 first-round pick. The Leafs sent that pick in the Brandon Carlo deal at last year’s NHL trade deadline. But lost in the mix was the fact that the pick is top-five protected.
All of a sudden, it seems like the Leafs are pushing to ensure that pick falls within the top five. If it does, the Leafs get it back.
And guess what that means?
If the Leafs end up with a top-five protected pick, they could have a shot at the top-overall pick at this year’s NHL Draft. That pick could turn into presumptive number-one overall selection Gavin McKenna.
The way things are going, it could be a race to the bottom in the final weeks of the 2025-26 NHL season.
Maple Leafs’ NHL Trade Deadline Strategy Reminiscent of Last Tank
Back in 2016, the Maple Leafs tanked for the top-overall pick in that year’s draft. It worked, and the Leafs landed Auston Matthews.
It seems that this year’s NHL trade deadline strategy is reminiscent of that tank a decade ago. The Leafs could be selling off just about every piece they can, trying to recoup as many pieces as possible.
While the Leafs are looking for prospects, it seems that they’re more focused on landing draft picks. Accruing numerous picks might also be part of a strategy to move up in the 2026 NHL Draft.
Much of that will depend on the NHL Draft Lottery. As it stands, the Maple Leafs are slated to pick eighth. That spot comes with a 6% chance of landing the top overall pick. However, there might be another reason for Maple Leafs fans to be hopeful.
Maple Leafs Could Strike it Rich like New York Islanders
The New York Islanders had the 10th overall pick last season. While they didn’t tank at last year’s NHL trade deadline, they did enter the 2025 NHL Draft hoping to get a decent pick out of it.
Instead, they stunned the hockey world by winning the NHL Draft Lottery. That pick led to Matthew Schaefer and, well, the Islanders are back on the map.
That’s a roadmap, as unlikely as it may seem, that the Leafs could hope to follow. While the top-overall pick might be a little too much, even moving up a couple of spots, at least into the top five, would guarantee the Leafs get their pick back and select a player who could become a franchise cornerstone.
NHL Trade Deadline Strategy for Maple Leafs Embraces the Tank