New Headline: Bruins Acquire Star Forward From Hockey Kingdom for Top Contract!

Bruins Get Great Update On Maple Leafs Draft Pick Trade originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Die-hard Boston Bruins fans might have been keeping an eye on this story since the details of the trade that sent Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs were announced.

Along with 21-year-old center Fraser Minten, the Bruins received the Leafs 2026 first-round draft pick. The pick is top-five protected, and as it stands now, Toronto’s selection is trending towards being a top-ten pick. The NHL Draft has operated on a lottery system since 1995.

Any team that finishes with a bottom-16 record will be inserted into the lottery with a chance to have their pick improved. The main caveat is that a team may only move up 10 slots; however, the odds are heavily stacked against a team making that large a jump. The Leafs currently have the eighth-worst record in the league at a measly 28-27-11, good for last place in the Atlantic Division.

There is a chance their season finishes so poorly without superstar forward Auston Matthews that they end up playing themselves into keeping their pick. And that is why Bruins fans should be keeping a close eye on their rival. It would be in Bruins fans' best interest to root for the Leafs when they play bottom-half teams like the New York Rangers, the St.