One of the topics that will come up from time to time over the next year will be the first-round pick the Toronto Maple Leafs owe the Bruins.
Tuesday night’s NHL Draft Lottery left the entire NHL stunned, as the Maple Leafs won the first-overall pick.
That wasn’t so much the issue. The problem is that the Bruins lost their claim to the Maple Leafs’ 2026 first-rounder, as the conditions stipulated that it was top-five protected.
All right, so everyone knows about that by now. The issue, nevertheless, will be what happens with the pick the Leafs owe the Bruins. The Leafs will pay up. There’s no question about it. The question is when.
According to the conditions in the Brandon Carlo trade, the Bruins will get their pick in 2028. That’s because the Leafs pledged their 2027 first-rounder to the Philadelphia Flyers in a separate trade.
That pick is top-10 protected. So, if the Leafs fail to make the playoffs next year, and there’s a pretty good chance they won’t make it, and that pick falls in the top 10, the Maple Leafs will have a choice of sending that pick to either the Flyers or Bruins.
However, if the pick is outside of the top 10 (regardless of whether the Leafs make the playoffs or not), Philly gets the 2027 pick, and Boston gets the 2028 selection.
That’s quite a handful…
So, what happens now?
For the moment. Nothing. The Bruins will have to wait and see what happens in the 2026-27 season. If the Leafs crash and burn, they stand to benefit. Toronto can pit the Bruins and Flyers against one another.
Imagine the Leafs end up with another top-five pick after next year’s NHL Draft Lottery. The Leafs can force Philly and Boston to pay up for the pick. There’s nothing really to stop the Leafs from saying, “Give us your first-rounder and you can have this top-five pick.”
Of course, if the Leafs’ pick falls outside of the top 10, well, the rules are clear.
Bruins fans should keep an eye on this situation. While it may sit on the back burner from now until next spring, the topic will invariably come up, especially if the Leafs have another terrible year.
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