“We knew this was coming,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “It’s a tight-knit group in there. They won’t be happy about it. But, again, we put ourselves in this situation so this is what happens. … But, yeah, he was a guy we brought in and he’s played pretty well for us. Tough to notice him go, but that’s the situation we’re in.”
The Colorado Avalanche bolstered their roster ahead of a Friday night matchup against the Dallas Stars, acquiring forward Sean Roy from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The trade, announced Wednesday, sees Roy head to the Avalanche in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2026 Draft.
Roy, who won the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, has 186 points (73 goals, 113 assists) in 428 regular-season games across stints with the Carolina Hurricanes, Golden Knights, and Maple Leafs. He’s also added 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) in 79 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The Avalanche (41-10-9) currently lead the NHL standings and hold a six-point advantage over the Dallas Stars in the Central Division. They will face the Stars on Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Victory+ and ALT. Colorado also acquired defenseman Nick Blankenberg from the Nashville Predators on Wednesday for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 draft.
For the Maple Leafs (27-25-11), the move comes at a difficult time. Toronto is seventh in the Atlantic Division, eight points behind the Boston Bruins for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. They’ve struggled recently, dropping six straight games (0-4-2) and 12 of their last 15 (3-9-3) since the Olympic break.
“It’s hard,” Berube said. “For sure it’s hard. It’s been difficult here for a bit, especially coming out of the break. … But I keep my head down and coach. I coach the players I’ve got that are going on the ice.”
The terms of the trade include a conditional first-round pick: if the Avalanche’s 2027 first-round selection falls within the top 10, they will send their unprotected 2028 first-round pick to Toronto. Colorado’s lowest of three fifth-round selections in the 2026 Draft will be transferred to the Maple Leafs.
Selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the fourth round (No. 96) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Roy provides the Avalanche with additional offensive depth as they push for another championship run.
NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen contributed to this report
