Entering the 2026 trade deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs unfortunately were sellers for the first time in over a decade of hockey after a disappointing 2025-26 NHL campaign to date. In doing so, the Maple Leafs were looking to recoup as much assets as possible with hopes that a quick retool could put them back into contention in short order.
As a result, how well did Toronto do in the end? Here, we will review and grade the Leafs trade deadline moves to see if they came out as winners or losers.
How did the Toronto Maple Leafs do at the trade deadline?
The Maple Leafs traded F Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a conditional 2027 first-round pick and a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick
For someone that was hardly in the trade rumors until recent weeks prior to the trade deadline, the Maple Leafs ended up doing fairly well with the Nicolas Roy trade. In fact, it was easily the best move of all of the transactions that Toronto made at the deadline. That is because the Leafs were able to land their lone first-round pick that they were able to recoup on Friday from the Avalanche, despite the 2027 first-round pick is top-10 protected. The fact that they also got an extra 2026 draft pick out of it is an added bonus, even though rumors had it that the Leafs were asking for a first and a prospect for Roy, so no prospect but close enough.Â
Roy will help lengthen the Colorado lineup, especially after their acquisition of Nazem Kadri as well, making them one of the deepest teams at center in the entire league. Nevertheless, the Maple Leafs got good value for a third-line center who had put up just five goals and 20 points in 59 games played this season. More importantly, the Toronto trade of Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights has now turned into these two draft picks that included a first-rounder, so not too shabby after all.
Grade: B+
The Maple Leafs traded F Bobby McMann to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick
Bobby McMann was probably the Leafs’ top trade chip heading into the deadline. In the midst of a career year for the 29-year-old forward along with drawing interest from multiple teams, Toronto sure fell flat when they were only able to get a second and fourth-round pick for McMann. Especially with the 2026 NHL Entry Draft projected to be the deeper class than 2027, getting just a 2026 fourth-rounder definitely stings a bit.Â
Moreover, the Edmonton Oilers, who had previously expressed interest in McMann, sacrificed a 2027 first-rounder AND Andrew Mangiapane for two bottom-six forwards from the Chicago Blackhawks in Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach. Both Dickinson and Dach combined for nine goals and 13 assists for 22 points in total, whereas McMann alone has put up 19 goals and 32 points all by himself this season and could play a prominent role in the top six. So anything short of a first-rounder was a failure for the Leafs and GM Brad Treliving.
Perhaps the Maple Leafs could have gotten more value by keeping McMann and re-signing him instead to make him a key part of their retool. Instead, Toronto will now need some strong draft masters to be ready to help them gain back the advantage by drafting smart in the lower rounds. Otherwise, this trade could turn out to be more lopsided than expected.
Grade: D-
The Maple Leafs traded F Scott Laughton to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a conditional 2026 third-round pick
This one has to hurt the most for Leafs fans and the entire organization. After all, Toronto had to hand the Philadelphia Flyers a promising, hard-working prospect in Nikita Grebenkin PLUS a 2027 first-round pick for Scott Laughton at the trade deadline last year. Now this year, the Maple Leafs were only able to recoup a conditional third-round pick from the Los Angeles Kings for Laughton’s services. This essentially meant that Toronto traded Grebenkin AND a first-round pick for a third-round pick. One doesn’t need to be brilliant in math, but that is a huge loss of a trade no matter how you put it.Â
If it makes the Leafs feel any better, the third-round pick could turn into a second-rounder if the Kings make the playoffs this season. So Toronto has to pray that Los Angeles keeps on winning till the end of the season to maximize their return asset. With Laughton having managed just 10 goals and 16 points in 63 games played for the Leafs despite his solid gritty play, let’s just say things haven’t worked out too well for him and Toronto ever since the move was made last season.
Grade: E
Overall, the Maple Leafs got good value for Roy, but flopped big time for their other two moves with McMann and Laughton. More significantly, to not land a single first-rounder from the 2026 NHL Entry Draft despite having the potential assets to do so is a huge fail on the Leafs’ management part. As a result, the Toronto trade deadline has turned out just as disappointing as their season has been, putting them among the losers of the NHL trade deadline.