Sabres Elimination Officially Locks in the Maple Leafs’ 2026 Draft Position

Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The Toronto Maple Leafs are beginning to be able to shape where they will be selecting in the 2026 NHL Draft on June 26th in Buffalo.

With the Buffalo Sabres' round-two exit after a heartbreaking overtime Game 7 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Monday, the draft order for the team eliminated from the postseason has been finalized. For the Toronto Maple Leafs, this means they will be selecting 59th overall in the second round due to the Scott Laughton trade they made at the trade deadline. The process towards the Maple Leafs gaining the second-round pick, and how the Buffalo Sabres affected this, is quite confusing.

How the Maple Leafs are picking in the second round

The Maple Leafs acquired the pick from the deal they made with the Los Angeles Kings, when they sent Scott Laughton to the Kings in exchange for a conditional third-round pick; the condition included that if the Kings made the postseason, it would turn into the Buffalo Sabres ' second-round pick, hence the reason why they are picking in the second round.

With the Sabres now eliminated from the postseason, it has been determined where the Maple Leafs will slot in. This will be the Maple Leafs second pick in the draft, after their first overall selection.

Big offseason ahead for John Chayka and Mats Sundin

Being able to pick in the second round can help out the Maple Leafs tremendously, for a team that has little to no draft capital. This has become huge for their future. While there is no guarantee that whoever they select in the second round will turn out to become a solid NHL player for them, it certainly helps out their prospect pool, giving the Maple Leafs more players to develop.

The Maple Leafs are heading into one of their most crucial offseasons, as they just missed the postseason for the first time in a decade, with general manager John Chayka and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin facing a lot of pressure.