Toronto Maple Leafs @ Los Angeles Kings
07:00 PM at Crypto.com Arena
Watch on: SNO, CBC, FDSNSC

The Leafs last game was away on April 2 against the San Jose Sharks, which Toronto lost by a score of 4-1 in regulation. The Leafs have a record of 32-31-13 for a 0.507 Points %.

The Los Angeles Kings last played at home on April 2 against the Nashville Predators. The Kings lost by a score of 5-4 in a shootout, and their current league record is 30-26-19 for a 0.527 Points %.

There are four teams today tied for fifth last in Points %, one of the Toronto. The other three are St. Louis, Winnipeg and Seattle. Every one of those teams is at least publicly claiming they can totally make the playoffs. Depending on how you look at it, Toronto, who have played 76 games, to the others' 75 and 74, is the leader for last in this group. All these teams have 75 to 77 points, with Toronto the most so you can call the team with the most opportunity to lose more, Seattle, the real leader. Florida also has 77 points and 0.513 Points %. And they know they aren't making the playoffs.

Now let's look at this another way. New York and Calgary both are at 0.467. That pace gets them 77 points on the season – and the Leafs are already there. They both, however, have been playing over 0.500 hockey since the Olympics, meaning they could conceivably and realistically finish with more points than that. The glass is half full or half empty depending on how you look at it. The Leafs are at 0.368 since the break which would add four more points if they continue like that.

The wild card race is knotted up at 79 points for Nashville, LA and San Jose. Next are the Blues the team in the running for bottom five or the playoffs both with 76 points. LA plucked a loser point from Nashville, tonight they could really use two points.

Them

LA is a better team than Toronto by a very small amount, mostly their five-on-five game and a good season from Anton Forsberg.

They are so far away from the Colorado Avalanche, it really does seem like the most unusual season in a long time.

Lines

Last Game (2026-04-02) via Daily Faceoff

Artemi Panarin - Anze Kopitar - Adrian Kempe
Trevor Moore - Quinton Byfield - Alex Laferriere
Jared Wright - Scott Laughton - Joel Armia
Mathieu Joseph - Samuel Helenius - Taylor Ward

Brian Dumoulin - Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke
Mikey Anderson - Cody Ceci

Anton Forsberg - likely starter
Darcy Kuemper

Us

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is out with a minor lower body injury, and it's Joe Woll's turn to have lots of opportunity for big saves.

The lineup is in flux as some other players are banged up. The Leafs recalled William Villeneuve from the AHL on an emergency basis for this game, so perhaps one of those other injured is a defenceman. No word on if he plays what would be his first ever NHL game.

He was recalled during the Olympic break for some practices, but after four years on the Marlies, he's never played on the Leafs outside of preseason.

Yesterday, newly signed defender Frank Djurasevic dressed and took part in the warm up for the Marlies, but did not play. They were just easing him in to his pro debut today.

Lines

Last Game (2026-04-02) via Daily Faceoff

Easton Cowan - John Tavares - William Nylander
Matthew Knies - Bo Groulx - Matias Maccelli
Dakota Joshua - Max Domi - Nicholas Robertson
Steven Lorentz - Jacob Quillan - Calle Järnkrok

Morgan Rielly - Philippe Myers
Jake McCabe - Brandon Carlo
Simon Benoit - ??

Joe Woll - likely starter
Anthony Stolarz

The Game

Seriously, lose this one. There is at least some measurable difference between the picks the Leafs might get from LA in the Scott Laughton trade.

If LA makes the playoffs, they get Buffalo's second rounder. How close that is to the 64th pick will depend on the outcome of the playoffs, but it's at least as bad as 49th. If LA does not make the playoffs the pick is either Ottawa's or Washington's third. Which depends on those teams' finishes in the regular season and/or playoffs.

The best case scenario is the second rounder and an early Buffalo exit from the playoffs. A win-win. The next best is, unfortunately, Ottawa making the playoffs and then the better of the two thirds comes to the Leafs. Otherwise it's the worse one. This difference isn't significant, and this pick will be around 80th overall.

What you actually can expect from the best case scenario second-rounder is about the same chance at getting an NHL player out of the pick – very low – as the third rounder, but when you factor in the distribution of the value of this imaginary NHL player, the second gives you slightly better chances at better players.

80 vs 50 the year Auston Matthews was drafted is Brandon Gignac vs Artur Kayumov.

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