Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Scott Laughton was acquired to help the Maple Leafs for last year’s playoff push and less than a year later he was traded for a conditional third-round pick and ending his very brief stint with his hometown team.
The Top-5 pick is protected, and every game decides if Toronto keeps it
Right now, Toronto sits last in the Atlantic and currently 25th in the NHL which would put them in line for the 7th pick if odds were 100%. If they want to save the pick they traded to Boston in the Brandon Carlo deal, they need to make sure they finish within the bottom-five.
If they get unlucky and get 6th or 7th, that pick is Boston’s for the taking and Toronto is left empty-handed. It’s the price you pay for trying to improve ahead of a playoff push and there’s always a risk of losing your ability to draft.
Speaking of, they might not be able to draft in 2027 either.
The Philadelphia pick most fans don’t know about yet
The team sent a 2027 first to Philadelphia in the Laughton deal, and that’s Top-10 protected, so if Toronto somehow becomes competitive but not enough to reach the postseason — another pick gone.
But there’s a lot of math to go on so let’s break it down.
– If Toronto’s pick is Top-5 protected in 2026: Toronto keeps 2026 pick, gives Boston 2027.
– If Toronto is outside Top-10 in 2027: Philadelphia receives 2027 pick, Boston receives unprotected 2028 pick.
– If Toronto is Top-10 in drafting in 2027, they can choose to give Boston the 2027 pick to complete the Carlo deal and give Philadelphia the 2028 pick or
– Choose to give Philadelphia the 2027 pick, and Boston the 2028 pick.
As complicated as it is, there looks to be an incredible amount of luck involved and a lot of it depends on how this season ends up.
Colorado’s pick is the only thing keeping this from a complete disaster
Best case scenario: Toronto finishes Top-5, drafts Gavin McKenna, Boston drafts in 2028, all parties happy with the result.
Worst-case scenario: Toronto finishes outside the Top-5, loses their pick to Boston, compete just enough to finish outside the Top-10 in 2027 and lose the pick to Philadelphia or Boston, and pay the other team the 2028 pick.
Boston also ends up with a potential franchise-changing player meanwhile Toronto gets two seasons of mid-level play from Carlo.
Toronto is going to be praying for the former, because it’s a chance for them to seriously accelerate a retool, but if they fall short in the luck department it could be a long time before they win, and draft in the first round.
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