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Jay Rosehill Says Maple Leafs Should Keep Draft Pick

Former NHL player Jay Rosehill made his stance clear on the Toronto Maple Leafs and their 1st overall draft pick. He believes the organization must keep it and stressed the long-term benefits.

The Maple Leafs won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery and will make the 1st overall selection in next month’s draft. There was a lot at stake due to a trade that sent Brendan Carlo to Toronto. If the Leafs had fallen outside the top 5, the draft pick would have gone to the Boston Bruins instead.

Gavin McKenna is projected to be selected 1st overall. He plays center, which is the same position as Auston Matthews and John Tavares. While Toronto are in dire need of reinforcements on defense, Rosehill urged management to keep the pick rather than trade for an established player.

“[The Maple Leafs have] bought at the deadline, they’ve tried to acquire now. They’ve put a lot of eggs in the [Auston] Matthews, [William] Nylander, and [Mitch] Marner basket. I think if you get that [top 5] pick, you would have to pick,” Rosehill told The Game Plan. “A lot of people think [Toronto] need a centerman to compliment Auston Matthews.”

He added:

“You need another centerman to maybe drop John Tavares to [the third line], a lot of different theories,” Rosehill said. “I think that if you are luck enough to get that pick, I think you need to make that pick and know that that guy’s coming down the barrel sooner than later to help this franchise out.”

Jay Rosehill Addresses Whether Maple Leafs Will Consider Trading 1st Overall Pick

Jay Rosehill also shared his thoughts on whether he believes the Maple Leafs will consider trading their 1st overall pick.

Rosehill pointed out that the Leafs have shown a willingness to go against the norm with their decisions. They recently named John Chayka as their new general manager despite his controversial exit from the Arizona Coyotes. In addition, Mats Sundin was hired as Senior Executive Advisor despite having no NHL front office experience.

As a result, Rosehill believes the Leafs will explore their options. However, he expects Toronto to ultimately draft McKenna.

“A guy like John Chayka, I think he’s going to crunch some numbers and do his due diligence. And if he wants to get creative on moving [the pick], it would be a bold move,” Rosehill told The Game Plan. “We’ve seen with this hire in general, the Leafs are not against making against the grain, bold moves in this era.”

He added: “It would certainly be a difficult decision. I don’t think having the 1st overall pick would be a problem necessarily, but it would be a difficult decision.”

When Did the Leafs Last Select 1st Overall?

The Leafs will make select 1st overall in the NHL Draft for the first time since 2016. That year, they selected Matthews.

Matthews was a highly-touted, generational talent who has since gone on to become the Leafs’ captain. Last season, he also broke Sundin’s record for most goals in franchise history.

Now, McKenna is likely to join the Leafs and help usher in a new era. It was recently reported that Matthews’ future with the franchise may depend on whether the team improve its roster. A generational talent could help convince the American to stay.