On March 7, 2025, the Boston Bruins sent Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a deal that already looked substantial: Fraser Minten and a 2025 fourth‑rounder, which ultimately became Vashek Blanar. That alone would’ve been a significant return. But somehow, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney managed to extract even more, with then‑Leafs GM Brad Treliving tacking on a conditional 2026 first‑round pick — the kind of deal that raises eyebrows, and could for some time.
Treliving sought top‑10 protection on the pick, but Sweeney wouldn’t bite. When asked in early March why he hadn’t pushed harder for that safeguard, Treliving offered a blunt explanation: “Because that’s what we had to do to get the deal done last year.” Pressed on whether he tried to negotiate better terms, he kept it brief: “We pushed.”
That’s the premium you pay when a deal is pushed to the eleventh hour and the negotiating window all but disappears.
For the Bruins, the stakes are obvious: landing another top‑seven pick just a year after adding James Hagens would accelerate their retool in a meaningful way. For the Maple Leafs, the fallout could be far more painful — potentially leaving them without a first‑round pick until 2029, aside from the conditional 2028 first they hold from the Colorado Avalanche. It’s no surprise fans on both sides were locked in front of their TVs and streaming devices, fully aware of how much was riding on the lottery balls.
The Maple Leafs entered the lottery holding the fifth‑overall slot, and the math was straightforward: stay put or win one of the draws, and they’d keep the pick, pushing Boston’s return to 2027 or 2028. But the moment a team drafting behind Toronto jumped into a winning position — with the lone exception of the Washington Capitals (can only move up 10 spots) — the equation flipped. Any such leap would knock the Leafs out of the top five and deliver the 2026 first‑rounder directly into the Bruins’ hands.
And the results are in!
The first draw, the lottery that would determine the first overall pick ended quickly with the Leafs winning which means the Bruins will get either the Leafs first round pick in 2027 or 2028. San Jose won the second lottery, which was too little, too late.
The Bruins will do hold either the 21st, 22nd, or 23rd pick in the first round — a sliding range determined by how far Anaheim and Philadelphia advance in the postseason. Boston currently sits at 23, but that selection moves to 22 if either the Ducks or Flyers reach the conference finals. If both teams get there, the pick jumps to 21.
In the coming weeks, I’ll roll out my annual look at the players who should fall within the Bruins’ drafting range — a full breakdown of realistic targets as the board takes shape in the coming weeks. If you haven’t already, subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss it. It’s free and it drops soon.
Here’s a look at where the first-round draft picks sit after the lottery, but before the playoffs end which this season will be picks 17 through 31.
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