Leafs prepared to move first-round pick for immediate help: report
The Toronto Maple Leafs may not be walking to the podium on Wednesday night to announce their first-round selection.
While the Leafs currently own the No. 28 pick at the 2023 Draft, they could soon be looking to move it. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, they are prepared to trade the pick if it can fetch them immediate roster help in return.
With the NHL Draft five days away, the Capitals are exploring ways to move up from 8th overall, the Flyers are hoping to add another first-round pick, the Blues continue to dangle No25 & No29, and the Leafs are shopping the 28th pick for immediate help.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 23, 2023
This makes plenty of sense from the Leafs’ perspective, as they are in win-now mode. Chances are, any player they are able to get in the No. 28 spot won’t be NHL-ready for a number of years, if at all.
As for where they would like to add to their roster, expect newly appointed general manager Brad Treliving to consider all options. Currently, the Leafs have only eight forwards and six defencemen signed under NHL contracts. Meanwhile, Ilya Samsonov is an RFA, while Matt Murray and Joseph Woll are under contract for the upcoming season.
Regardless of whether they do find a trading partner for their first-round selection or not, this promises to be a busy summer for Treliving. The 53-year-old has a ton of pressure on him, as much of the fan base wasn’t happy to see Kyle Dubas relieved of his duties. Pair that with Treliving’s lack of playoff success in his nine years as GM of the Calgary Flames, and you have a lot of skeptical fans at the moment.
On top of filling roster spots for the 2023-24 campaign, Treliving also has to deal with Auston Matthews and William Nylander, who are both entering the final year of their contracts. The organization has made it clear they would like to bring back both players, but it remains a wait-and-see game at this point in time. Safe to say, it will be an interesting summer for this team.
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