NHL Trade Talk Recap

NHL Trade Talk Recap: Dubas Regrets, Maple Leafs Trade Condition Bonanza

by
Ethan Braund
April 15, 2026

Tuesday’s news cycle was heavily Maple Leafs–focused, with all three of the biggest storylines directly or indirectly tied to the blue and white. Between trade regrets, an “own goal” that still delivered a positive outcome, and trade conditions being met that upgraded draft capital, it was a busy day of Leafs-related developments.

There were also updates, as Kevin Lowe responded to Chris Pronger‘s story about his trade out of Edmonton, Rick Bowness snapped at his team, and the Edmonton Oilers might be looking at the college free-agent market again.

Kyle Dubas’ Biggest Trade Regret

Former Maple Leafs GM (now with Pittsburgh) Kyle Dubas was on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast. One question he was asked was if there was any trade that he regretted. He had an interesting answer: when he was on the Leafs, he traded Mason Marchment to the Florida Panthers.

This is an interesting answer because at the time of the trade, it seemed relatively inconsequential. The trade was Marchment for Dennis Malgin. Malgin did very little with the Leafs, and Marchment went on to become the kind of player the Maple Leafs really could have used.

Dubas said great things about Marchment and the time that they invested in him. “But every time I see Mason play — no matter where he is — I just kick myself, because we really needed that style of player throughout: the competitiveness, the ability to score, to get under people’s skin, the physicality, and the ability to get to the net. I always kick myself about that one.”

Kyle Dubas Reveals Trade He Regrets Making the Most

Is the Maple Leafs Own Goal Good News?

Scoring on your own net is usually the worst thing a player can do at any level of hockey. But for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Troy Stecher, it might have been a good thing. Stecher scored the tying goal for the Dallas Stars on Monday, which has kept the hope of the Leafs keeping their first-round pick alive.

Toronto traded its first-round pick (and Fraser Minten) for Brandon Carlo last season. A top-five protected made this year’s mission clear. Keep this year’s pick at the top of mind during the back half of this season.

That takes us to Monday night, when the Leafs were up 5-4 in the third period against the Dallas Stars. Defenseman Troy Stecher (battling for the puck near his own net) swiped at it and accidentally backhanded it past goaltender Artur Akhtyamov, tying the game at 5-5. This ultimately led the stars to take the lead and win the game 6-5. This was a vital loss for the Leafs, who currently sit in the bottom 5 of the league. Stecher, who is playing for a contract, might not enjoy the fan discourse of his understanding of the assignment, but if the Leafs do keep their pick, he’ll become a bit of a hero.

Did Troy Stecher Inadvertently Save the Maple Leafs Draft Hopes?

The Maple Leafs Get a Pick Upgrade

With the Maple Leafs out of contention, fans have shifted their attention to rooting for losses and tracking other teams whose results could indirectly impact the organization. One of those teams is the Los Angeles Kings, to whom the Leafs sent Scott Laughton in exchange for a conditional third-round pick. That condition stipulates that if the Kings make the playoffs, the return to Toronto will be upgraded to a second-round pick this season.

Following the Kings’ 5-3 win against the Seattle Kraken on Monday night, they punched their ticket to the playoffs. With not much going right for the blue and white, and mostly bad vibes surrounding the organization, this draft capital upgrade is a little win in a season that has had very few.

Maple Leafs’ Laughton Deal Delivers Unexpected Bonus