The Colorado Avalanche have acquired forward Nicolas Roy from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2026 conditional fifth-round pick and a 2027 conditional first-round pick.
Roy On the Move to Third Team in Calendar Year
Roy, who the Maple Leafs acquired just last summer in the Mitch Marner sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, will be off to his third team in a calendar year: this time, a powerful Avalanche squad first in the Central Division and entire NHL with 41 wins and 91 points.
The right-shooting centre, originally selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, has five goals and 15 assists for 20 points in 59 games this season. He has 73 goals and 113 assists for 183 points in 428-career games between the Hurricanes, Golden Knights, and Maple Leafs and 10 goals and 22 assists for 32 points in 79-career playoff games. He won the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023.
The 29 year old is on year four of a five-year deal he signed with the Golden Knights in 2022 that carries a $3 million annual cap hit. He will add additional centre depth to an Avalanche organization with serious Cup aspirations after losing in either the first or second round the past three playoffs despite being a favourite.
Maple Leafs Selling Amidst Disappointing Season
The Maple Leafs, seventh in the Atlantic Division and unlikely to make the postseason, seem to be entering something of a retool. They are also rumoured to be shopping defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, forward Bobby McMann, and forward Scott Laughton, and held all three out of the lineup for last night’s game versus the New Jersey Devils for roster-management purposes.
The Maple Leafs refused to reduce their asking price for Roy down from a first rounder, and they managed to get it. If the Avalanches’ 2027 first-round pick is in the top 10, Colorado will send its unprotected 2028 first-round pick to Toronto instead. The Avalanche currently hold three 2026 fifth-round selections and the Maple Leafs will receive the lowest of the three picks.
Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Nylander, Tavares & Laughton’s Choice
The Maple Leafs have been in a competitive era for the past several seasons, and have often traded draft picks for immediate help. As such, they have just four picks in the upcoming 2026 Draft, and none until the third round.
