If you mute all the Toronto Maple Leafs fans on social media and take a step back, you'll realize that it isn't all bad news for the Boston Bruins that their rivals won the NHL Draft Lottery. Sure, the Bruins had a chance to get the sixth-overall pick, which is now likely to slip to an unprotected pick in the 2028 NHL Draft, but that pick could still have some value then.
It is very possible that the Bruins could deal that pick, so they don't have to worry about whether the Leafs will be bad enough in 2028 for it to be a bad pick. They could trade it to the Dallas Stars for Jason Robertson or to the St. Louis Blues for Robert Thomas, especially after Don Sweeney and Cam Neely's recent comments about getting some more talent on the roster.
If the Bruins don't trade the pick, the Leafs aren't necessarily going to be Stanley Cup contenders again in 2028. The consensus first-overall pick, Gavin McKenna, isn't going to be Connor McDavid, who couldn't even turn the Edmonton Oilers around in his first season, before they made the playoffs in his second season, and then missed the following two years again.
He may be on the same level as Connor Bedard, who came to Chicago and finished 15th in the Western Conference in each of his seasons. Toronto does have more talent to surround McKenna with, unless The Athletic's Chris Johnston is correct with his report this week about the Leafs' captain, Auston Matthews.
Johnston reported that Matthews may not necessarily be set on staying in Toronto and is contemplating a change of scenery. If that happens, the Maple Leafs will be putting a lot on McKenna, or whoever they draft, to turn the franchise around in two seasons. If Matthews leaves, would John Chayka do a complete rebuild and also consider trading William Nylander?
It wouldn't be the greatest strategy from the new front office, as a surefire way to fail at rebuilding a team is doing it when they don't own either of their 2027 or 2028 first-round picks. The Leafs do have a first-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche in 2027, and would accrue some in Matthews and Nylander deals, but it likely wouldn't give them a lottery pick like their own would.
Unfortunately, the Bruins lost the opportunity to steal the Leafs draft pick and further laugh about the Brandon Carlo trade. However, it isn't time to be all gloom and doom about it just yet.
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