Toronto Maple Leafs trade deadline fire sale has begun and they just got a first-rounder

The sell-off has begun for the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

For the first time in a decade, the Leafs are selling off assets at the NHL trade deadline rather than loading up. This comes as the team is eight points back of a playoff spot and is likely to miss out. 

The Leafs have traded centre Nic Roy to the Colorado Avalanche in return for a 2027 first-round pick (top-10 protected) and a 2026 fifth-round pick. 

TRADE: We’ve traded forward Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche

ℹ️ https://t.co/UnPCdVQCQ0 pic.twitter.com/LGdxxXuMgr

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 5, 2026

Roy was initially acquired by the Leafs in last summer's Mitch Marner trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. 

In 59 games with the Leafs this season, the 29-year-old forward had just five goals and 20 points. Getting a first-rounder in exchange for him was a tidy bit of work by GM Brad Treliving. 

The expectation is that more draft picks will be on their way to Toronto between now and Friday's 3 p.m. EST deadline. With Roy dealt, the focus will shift to players like Bobby McMann, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Scott Laughton, all of whom sat out Wednesday's game against the Devils for roster management purposes. 

It won't be long now until we get a better idea of how this Leafs team will look after the deadline.