Bruins Could Make Huge Trade With Leafs’ 1st-Rounder
DFO’s David Pagnotta said on Daily Faceoff Live that the Bruins are exploring ways to strengthen the roster. He named two first-round picks Boston could use in a trade: its own and Toronto’s.
“They’re not rushing into anything,” Pagnotta said. “I don’t think they’re looking at a short-term fix.”
That last part is key. Pagnotta said the Bruins want a player who can help beyond this season rather than a pure rental.
Toronto’s Pick Could Be Valuable
Boston got Toronto’s first-rounder in the Brandon Carlo trade at the 2025 deadline, which sent Carlo to the Leafs for Fraser Minten, a first-round pick and a fourth-round pick.
The Bruins had to wait on that pick after Toronto won the draft lottery in May, so the payoff got pushed back at least a year.
The Boston Bruins want another stable Defensemen, and have been active in that market recently. - @TheFourthPeriod #NHL #NHLBruins https://t.co/GKpouhYDMW
— IceMetrix (@IceMetrix) November 11, 2026
The longer the wait, the more interesting that pick looks. Toronto missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2015-16, and the Leafs are now stuck trying to fix their blue line while facing a cap crunch for next season.
Bruins Rolling Right Now
Boston has earned the right to think about adding. The Bruins have won four straight, including a 4-1 win over Florida on Sunday in which Jeremy Swayman made 40 saves, and they’re in first place in the Atlantic.
Marco Sturm says James Hagens will definitely be out for a few weeks. “It’s definitely gonna be a few weeks. Very unfortunate. It’s not a dirty play or anything like that, just got him in the wrong spot there.” @BOSHockeyNow | #NHLBruins https://t.co/qwvSj9QCRI
— Jack Studley (@jackstudley13) November 7, 2026
They’ll have to do it without rookie James Hagens for a while. Hagens is on injured reserve after a cross-check from Pittsburgh’s Samuel Girard, and coach Marco Sturm said earlier that he'll miss “a few weeks.”
GM Don Sweeney now has two first-round picks to work with if the right longer-term piece becomes available. The Bruins host the Canadiens on Thursday.
