Colorado Avalanche acquire forward Nicolas Roy in trade with Toronto Maple Leafs for conditional first, fifth-round picks

The Colorado Avalanche have acquired forward Nicolas Roy in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs Thursday, the team announced. In exchange, Toronto received a conditional first-round draft pick in 2027 and a conditional fifth-round draft pick in 2026 from Colorado.

General manager Chris MacFarland and the Avs front office have remained active ahead of the Friday NHL trade deadline. The acquisition of the 29-year-old veteran forward from Quebec adds depth up and down the forward lines for the Avs. 

Roy, who is primarily a centerman, provides beneficial strength as a defensive forward, creating further positive competition among the forward group for the final stretch of the regular season, and into the playoffs. 

Among his career achievements, Roy was a member of the 2022-23 Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup championship team. He had spent the majority of his career in Vegas before his short stint with the Leafs this season. 

Despite the famous last name, Nicolas Roy bears no relationship to Avs legend Patrick Roy, who is also the current head coach of the New York Islanders. 

The newest member of the Avalanche has posted 5 goals and 15 assists in 59 games this season, while logging an average of 14:45 in time on ice. 

There were no immediate details from the hockey team regarding the conditions that will eventually apply to the first and fifth-round picks the Avs sent to Toronto. However, PuckPedia.com was reporting the first-rounder in 2027 is top 10 protected for the Avalanche, so it would then slide to 2028 as an unprotected first-rounder for the Leafs.