After weeks of speculation, the Toronto Maple Leafs are finally on the move ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline.

Toronto traded forward Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in 2027, and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2026. The 2027 first-round pick is top-10 protected and in the event it doesn’t convert, the Maple Leafs will instead receive the Avalanche’s unconditional 2028 first-round pick. The conditions on the 2026 fifth-round pick stipulate that the Maple Leafs will receive the lowest of the Avalanche’s three picks in the fifth round.

If the operative goal of this year’s trade deadline was to recoup some future draft capital, in exchange for expendable roster players, then this deal can be considered a win for the Maple Leafs. Toronto will now have a future first-round pick in 2027, as we simply cannot entertain the idea that Colorado will slip into the bottom 10 by next season.

Roy was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in a last second trade for Mitch Marner. Toronto effectively gained a veteran right-shot centre in exchange for a player that wasn’t going to re-sign with the club. Roy has primarily operated as Toronto’s third-line centre throughout the year, recording five goals and 20 points in 59 games. The 29-year-old won a Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023 and will certainly have more value to an Avalanche team that is a leading contender to win it all this summer. Roy wasn’t a natural fit in Craig Berube’s system and his defensive impact waned this season, although he can certainly eat minutes against bottom-six competition in the playoffs.

This constitutes a step in the right direction for the Maple Leafs, who will be missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Roy has one more year remaining at a $3 million cap hit, which certainly isn’t prohibitive for the Avalanche. It also allows the Maple Leafs to shed some salary on a player that doesn’t fit into their vision any longer. And now Toronto can begin its retool in earnest, as the conditional 2027 first-rounder is an asset the Maple Leafs could use towards the next era, or in a potential trade if the team decides that this season was an anomaly.

It’s an excellent return on value for the Maple Leafs, who only received Roy as the last possible second in the Marner negotiations. Now it’s just a matter of seeing whether Treliving and the Maple Leafs continue to be aggressive in a seller’s market, as a retool is fully underway.

Off The Roster is Toronto sports. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, this is the go-to morning conversation for everything happening in the 6ix – Hockey, Baseball, Basketball and everything in between. From breakout performances and questionable trades to throwback jerseys, viral moments, and the stories fans are actually talking about—it’s smart, sharp, and never scripted. Live weekday mornings on the Nation Network YouTube channel and available wherever you stream podcasts, the show delivers real opinions, real chemistry, and real Toronto energy. Missed an episode? Catch up anytime. Off The Roster—The new sound of the 6ix.