Coyotes take a draft pick from the Maple Leafs.

The Arizona Coyotes have made a decision and it is one that could have a significant impact on the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer, and possibly even ahead of the National Hockey League's rapidly approaching trade deadline on March 3rd.

According to NHL insider Chris Johnston, the Maple Leafs will now have to send their second round pick at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft to the Coyotes after the Coyotes selected that pick as part of the trade that sent defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to Toronto from Arizona and forward Nick Ritchie to Arizona from Toronto.

As part of the terms of that trade, the Coyotes had until Friday night to choose between a third round pick at this year's draft or a second round pick in 2025, with the Coyotes choosing to play the long game here with the better pick and possibly even in the hopes of seeing a stronger draft class in 2025.

This could prove beneficial to the Maple Leafs however given that they now have an additional asset for this year's draft that they can now use in any potential trades. That doesn't necessarily mean that Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas will rush out to trade his pick immediately, but it does give him an option that he didn't know he had prior to last night's decision from the Coyotes.

The Maple Leafs have already traded away their first, second, fourth and even a seventh round pick at this year's upcoming NHL draft, which leaves them only a third, fifth and sixth round pick to work with.