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There was a nice late-season gift for the Maple Leafs late on Monday night when the Los Angeles Kings beat the Seattle Kraken.
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Published Apr 14, 2026  • Last updated 6 minutes ago  • 2 minute read
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Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) celebrates with Scott Laughton (21) after defeating the Vancouver Canucks last month. The Canadian PressArticle content
The Maple Leafs received a parting gift late on Monday night.
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When the Los Angeles Kings beat the Seattle Kraken to clinch a playoff spot in the Western Conference, that sweetened the draft pick acquired by the Leafs from the Kings in the trade that sent centre Scott Laughton out West.
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It was a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft that the Leafs got from Los Angeles, with the condition that it became a second-round pick if the Kings earned their way into the Stanley Cup tournament.
A 5-3 win in Seattle by the Kings made the second-round choice a reality. The pick the Leafs will get previously belonged to the Buffalo Sabres before being acquired by the Kings.
The Leafs have Laughton to partially thank. He has been a nice fit with the Kings, recording eight points (five goals and three assists) in 14 games since the trade at the deadline on March 6. In 43 games with the Leafs this season, Laughton had eight goals and four assists.
Of course, the biggest draft question on the minds of Leafs Nation is whether Toronto will remain in the bottom five of the NHL standings to have a shot at a top-five pick in the first round in June.
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What’s at stake for the Leafs?
If the Leafs, losers of six games in a row, lose in Ottawa against the Senators on Wednesday night, they will remain in 28th place in the overall NHL standings. The same is true if Seattle gains one point in one of their last two games — at Vegas on Wednesday and at Colorado on Thursday.
The Leafs could drop to 29th if the Calgary Flames win each of their remaining two games and Toronto loses in Ottawa. The Flames play host to Colorado on Tuesday and Los Angeles on Thursday.
The worst-case scenario for many in Leafs Nation: The Leafs beat the Senators to hit 80 points and the Kraken, with 79 points, lose their two games in regulation. That would lift the Leafs out of the bottom five and into 27th.
The top-five protection would be gone and the pick would go to the Boston Bruins, acquired in the Brandon Carlo-Fraser Minten trade last year. Unless the Leafs win the draft lottery, in that case, would they retain the pick.
LEAFS SIGN SIM
The Leafs announced on Tuesday they’ve signed forward Landon Sim to a two-year entry-level contract starting in the 2026-27 season.
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In 13 games with the Toronto Marlies this season, Sim, a 21-year-old native of New Glasgow, N.S., has three goals and 31 penalty minutes. He also had six points in 18 games with Cincinnati of the ECHL.
Sim originally signed a one-year American Hockey League contract with the Marlies last May.
He was a teammate of Easton Cowan with the London Knights, helping London win back-to-back Ontario Hockey League titles in 2024 and 2025, as well as the 2025 Memorial Cup.
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