With news that the Avalanche are without Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar for the foreseeable future, it gives the Maple Leafs' 2027 first-rounder some brand new life.
News broke on Saturday afternoon that certainly shifts the landscape of the NHL at least in the Central Division. The Colorado Avalanche announced that forward Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are both going to be out for the foreseeable future, with MacKinnon getting the worst of it:
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Both men were injured against the Ottawa Senators, with MacKinnon getting crosschecked in the chest by Artem Zub, meanwhile Makar left the game after awkwardly stopping at the blue line while controlling the puck:
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It's a terrible turn of events for the Avalanche who were already not having an amazing start to their 2026-27 season.
Avalanche's loss could end up being Toronto's gain
Losing two of their top stars is going to hurt, and they could find themselves in a free fall if teams like Dallas, Utah, Minnesota, and a surprisingly hot Nashville team continue their solid play.
If that's the case, then the Avalanche may end up falling into a much more enviable position - for the Maple Leafs. Toronto owns Colorado's 2027 first-round pick thanks to the Nic Roy deal, and a struggling Avalanche team means they get a better pick in the summer.
Colorado can't be too bad, as the pick is top-10 protected, so if the Avalanche somehow are bad enough to get that level of pick, Toronto is out of luck.
But odds are if they are bad then they won't be bad enough to be one of the worst teams in the league, but finding themselves in the 13-18 rank for picks would be a perfect asset for the Maple Leafs going forward.
Deal or no deal? Toronto has to weigh its options
Having a pick in that area of the draft assures Toronto their shot at one of the better prospects available this year, and with names like Malik L'Italien, Milan Sundstrom, and Dima Zhilkin all potentially in that range - they have some options.
However, the team also could very well package that pick along with other players and prospects in order to get that cornerstone, franchise defenseman they've been searching for.
Granted, the pick alone wouldn't get them what they need but it'll be a crucial asset that is going to be valuable either to their pipeline or their NHL roster, but it depends on Colorado too.
They are a good enough team to weather the storm, get their injured back and set themselves on a course towards the Stanley Cup. The Maple Leafs will still get their pick - they're just hoping circumstances can make it even better.
Do you think the Maple Leafs will receive Colorado's 2027 first-rounder or will they lose it?
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