With just one game left in the Toronto Maple Leafs 2025-26 season, many fans are likely hoping to just get things over with as quickly as possible to put the team out of its misery. However, there is actually more on the line for Toronto than just pride in facing their usual provincial rivals in the Ottawa Senators. In fact, there’s more at stake than meets the eye as the destiny of their potential 2026 first-round draft pick could be determined.
In order for the Maple Leafs to retain their pick for the upcoming draft, they needed to finish among the bottom five teams in the league. That is because when they made their trade with the Boston Bruins last season, the stipulation had it as being top-five protected. So can Toronto complete the inevitable and secure their future on Wednesday against the Senators?
Can the Maple Leafs complete the inevitable on Wednesday against the Senators?
Just a couple of weeks of ago, it sure didn’t look good for the Leafs as they floated between being the seventh and eighth-worst team in the NHL. On top of that, they had upwards of a six-point lead over fifth-last team at the time with many of the bottom feeders struggling to secure victories as well down the stretch.
However, by losing seven of their last eight games, including six straight entering their match against Ottawa, Toronto has made the improbable feat possible as they currently find themselves sitting fifth last in the league. Injuries unfortunately helped the cause as well with three key Maple Leafs players suffering season-ending ailments with a few games to go. With 78 points, the only team that they can surpass now is the Seattle Kraken, who have one more point than the Leafs in the NHL standings at 79 points.
It is crucial for the Maple Leafs to retain their 2026 first-round selection because it is believed that the crop of elite prospects available are top-heavy and that any of the top five picks this year could already be close to NHL-ready. As a result, it would help facilitate a more rapid retool or rebuild for Toronto in getting back into contention sooner than expected.
However, would the Senators really do the Maple Leafs a favour by dispatching them in the season finale to help them fulfill their goal? Then again, any time Ottawa has the chance to beat Toronto during their existence in the NHL, they always go all out to do it.
Nevertheless, even if the Maple Leafs surprise everyone and win the game on Wednesday, since that’s just always happens for the Leafs, as long as the Kraken secure a point in their final two games of the season, Toronto will still finish fifth last as a result.
But just to ensure that the Maple Leafs control their own destiny, Leafs fans will likely pray that a nice repeat of Monday’s performance against the Dallas Stars would be exactly what the doctor ordered to help send everyone home happy.
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