A lot has been made about the misery that the Philadelphia Flyers season has been, but it doesn’t take long to realize that it could be a lot worse. Such as, not having your next two first-round draft picks and potentially sinking your entire organization into a state of mediocrity despite having some of the best players in the world on your hockey team.
Famously, the Flyers do own the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2027 first-round draft pick after somehow convincing them that forward Scott Laughton was worth that pick, in addition to current roster member Nikita Grebenkin, at last year’s trade deadline. But that wasn’t the only foolish move done by Toronto general manager Brad Treliving. In an even worse error, the Leafs sent their 2026 first-round draft pick (and center Fraser Minten) to the Boston Bruins for defenseman Brandon Carlo.
With these two trades in concert, the Leafs potentially ruined their present and future. The pick for this year that was sent to Boston is top-five protected, so if the Leafs sink even further (or win one of two draft lotteries), then they will get to keep that pick.
But, if that happens, then what happens to the pick that the Flyers own? That has been a major question that has taken months of diving into the several different conditions surrounding the two traded draft picks.
Thanks to the team over at PuckPedia, we now have a clearer picture surrounding the several scenarios regarding these two (and potentially three) first-round draft picks. The future of these hockey teams can really change depending on how this all plays out.
Let’s dive into each scenario and how it would affect the Flyers.
If the 2026 Maple Leafs pick in the top 5
In the scenario that the Leafs really stink it up for the rest of the year (or, as mentioned, win a lottery), then they will get to keep hold of that pick and select some poor teenager who will have a rabid fan base leaning on them for all their hopes and dreams to come true.
Then, what team would get the 2027 first-round pick wouldn’t be decided until after next season.
If the 2027 Maple Leafs pick is in the top 10
If the Leafs really stumble and fall and that pick ends up in the top 10 in the 2027 NHL Draft, then Toronto gets to choose which team gets which pick.
The options are: The Bruins get the top 10 2027 first-round pick and the Flyers get an unprotected 2028 first-round pick. Or the Leafs decide that they would rather have the Flyers get the top 10 2027 first-round pick, and the Bruins get an unprotected 2028 first rounder.
This is honestly the ideal scenario for the Flyers. The would either be guaranteed to have a top 10 pick as soon as next year, or they get an unprotected first-round pick from a team who just selected in the top five and the top 10 in back-to-back years. And with the Leafs sharing a division with the Bruins, it does seem like an easy choice to send that guaranteed top 10 pick to Philadelphia instead.
If the 2027 Maple Leafs pick is outside the top 10
If somehow the Leafs rejuvenate their roster enough to not completely sink multiple seasons in a row and next year’s selection is not in the top 10, then the Flyers would automatically get that pick and the Bruins would be getting the unprotected 2028 first-round pick.
It at least feels incredibly unlikely that the Leafs would somehow make that pick not hold a lot of value. Even if they keep Auston Matthews and William Nylander, and then make the right choice to replace Craig Berube as head coach, and even get one or two defensemen actually capable to move the puck up the ice, it would take a whole lot for that team to make noise in the playoffs. If absolutely everything breaks right through the regular season (unlikely), we’re still talking about a potential top 20 pick for the Flyers to either add another high-end prospect or trade for a very good player.
If the 2026 Maple Leafs pick is outside the top 5
This feels like the most likely scenario right now, as the Leafs just keep on picking up points that every single fan does not want them to do. Hell, they just won against the Bruins to really hit the point home that that team takes every opportunity possible to make themselves look foolish.
In this scenario, the Bruins would happily snatch up what is most likely still going to be a top 10 pick for this year’s draft as their reward for convincing that Brandon Carlo was the final piece of the puzzle for last year’s Leafs team.
Then, again, it would depend on what happens to the Leafs next season and it becomes so much more simple.
If the 2027 first rounder is in the top 10 (Leafs suck again), then the Flyers get an unprotected 2028 first-round pick. If the 2027 first rounder is not in the top 10, then the Flyers get to have that pick.
Again, similar scenario but without the Leafs getting to choose which team gets what between the Bruins and the Flyers. Either way, that pick should hold some very good value for the Flyers to grab a good player to add to the next wave of prospects that will be ready as soon as players like Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone are entering their primes, or go ahead and trade that pick for a player that fits their current timeline and crop of young players.
Basically, it all boils down to the Flyers still getting a good pick. Maybe the worst-case scenario is that the Leafs somehow get good again next year and that pick ends up in the 20s and it’s not that exciting of a selection. But honestly, again, that feels unlikely and would mean that the Toronto Maple Leafs make several correct decisions this summer. That is just impossible.
Instead of a bunch of words to parse through, PuckPedia did make a handy graphic to comb through all the possibilities surrounding these draft picks.
