With the 60th pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, the Maple Leafs bet on their second-round track record

The Maple Leafs enter the 2026 NHL Draft with a two-pronged opportunity, holding the first overall selection and also controlling the 60th pick in the second round. That pairing puts pressure on Toronto’s scouting staff to land both a franchise-shaping player at the top and a reliable contributor further down the board, where the league’s odds shift from star upside toward dependable NHL profiles.

The specific focus for Toronto at No. 60 is straightforward: it is late enough that teams can miss, but early enough that there is still real talent available. In a preview for Yahoo Sports, the argument is that the Leafs’ recent history with second-round selections has been encouraging, making the 60th pick more than just a dart thrown from the middle of the pack. Put differently, No. 60 is often treated as a “value” slot, and teams that consistently find NHL-ready players there can build rosters that stay competitive even when top picks do not fully arrive on schedule.

For the Leafs, the immediate team-building challenge is roster balance. A first overall pick tends to dominate a draft class in both expectation and development resources. Meanwhile, second-round selections often become the difference between having a top-heavy lineup and having depth that can survive injuries, role changes, and playoff intensity. If Toronto can extract a high-probability NHL player at No. 60, the organization reduces the risk that the rest of its prospect pipeline will have to do all the heavy lifting.

Second-round draft picks also carry a different kind of timeline than first-rounders. By the time a player lands around the middle of the second round, many organizations expect tangible progress, even if the path to regular minutes can still include junior, college, or pro seasoning. The practical payoff for the Leafs is that additions from this range can provide flexibility: a forward who fits multiple even-strength roles, a defenseman who can be paired for structure and puck management, or a goaltender prospect who can grow into a higher-leverage backup role.

That is why the “what to expect” theme matters. The Yahoo Sports preview frames Toronto’s No. 60 selection as an extension of its evaluation habits, not merely a supplement to the top pick. It also indicates how teams tend to interpret the second round across the league, where player potential, skating and game structure, and maturity can matter as much as raw skill. At this stage of the draft, the gap between “good player” and “difference-maker” is often narrower than at later picks, but the gap is still meaningful, and development choices can decide whether the pick becomes a rotation piece or a long-term project.

As the draft approaches, Toronto’s No. 60 selection will be watched not for hype, but for fit and probability. The Leafs’ overarching question is whether their first-overall pick and their second-round value slot together can address both immediate needs and longer-term depth. If the Leafs are right about their second-round track record, No. 60 becomes a chance to strengthen the organization’s floor, giving them more dependable roster options as the 2026-27 season begins to take shape.