The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired an improved draft pick after the LA Kings clinched a playoff berth.
As part of the Scott Laughton trade at the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the Leafs acquired a conditional third-round pick from the Kings that would improve to a second rounder if the Kings made the playoffs. Now that the Kings have formally clinched a playoff berth, the Leafs have officially acquired a second-round pick in this year’s draft.
The second-round pick the Leafs will receive originally belonged to the Buffalo Sabres and is currently projected to be the 61st overall pick in the 2026 NHL entry draft.
Leafs Regain Desperately Needed Draft Capital After Disastrous Laughton Trade
The Leafs originally acquired Laughton, along with a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick, from the Philadelphia Flyers at the 2025 NHL trade deadline in exchange for a future first-round pick and prospect Nikita Grebenkin. As part of the trade, the Flyers retained 50% of Laughton’s contract.
When the Leafs picked up Laughton, the hope was that he would provide the team with a capable third-round center behind captain Auston Matthews and veteran John Tavares for a long Stanley Cup run. However, after the Leafs beat the Ottawa Senators 4-2 in the first round, they lost in seven games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the second round.
Despite losing to the Panthers last spring, the Leafs entered this season as one of the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference. However, the Leafs have endured a horrendous season, currently holding the second-worst record in the conference, with just one game left this year.
At the deadline, the Leafs made the right call to sell off some of their veterans and try to regain some much-needed draft capital. While the original return of a third-round pick for Laughton was seen as a disappointment at the time, getting a second-rounder for him now that the Kings have clinched a playoff spot will help cushion the blow for fans.
Former GM Treliving Was Fired Partly For Losing Laughton, Carlo Deals
The team’s disappointing trades were one of the reasons the Leafs fired former general manager Brad Treliving, who came under fire for selling off the team’s future when he traded a first-round pick for Laughton, and another first-round pick plus prospect Fraser Minten to the rival Boston Bruins in the failed Brandon Carlo deal.
As part of the Carlo trade, the Bruins acquired the Leafs’ top-five protected first-rounder in 2026. The Leafs currently project to finish with a bottom-five pick after tanking in the latter portion of the season, so the team will keep their pick if the lottery balls go their way and they indeed get a top-five pick. If that happens, then the Leafs will have to give Boston and Philadelphia their unprotected first-round picks for the next two seasons instead.
Given how poorly the Laughton and Carlo trades played out, it’s understandable why the Leafs fired Treliving. The only positive from this mess is that their former GM was able to acquire a second-round pick from the Kings as part of the subsequent Laughton trade.
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