Maple Leafs Plan to Keep No. 1 Pick in 2026 NHL Draft as Trade Talks Continue
Updated
Updated · Sportsnet.ca · Jun 24
Maple Leafs Plan to Keep No. 1 Pick in 2026 NHL Draft as Trade Talks Continue
3 articles · Updated · Sportsnet.ca · Jun 24
Summary
GM John Chayka said Toronto is likely to use the No. 1 pick Friday rather than trade it, though he added “everything’s for sale” if the right offer emerges.
Four picks in the first 3 rounds give the Leafs room to reshape a roster that disappointed in 2025-26, with Chayka and Mats Sundin still aiming to reset around Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg have emerged as Toronto’s leading options at No. 1, with McKenna offering higher offensive upside and Stenberg viewed by many scouts as more NHL-ready.
Multiple trades could still define Toronto’s weekend, with Chayka expected to keep remaking the blue line after moving Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit and exploring changes involving several veteran defenders.