Elliotte Friedman: Maple Leafs Left Frustrated After Failed Trade for Key Offseason Target
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman revealed the Maple Leafs were frustrated on missing out on Mason Marchment as they see their trade targets dwindling each passing day.
As news broke of the Seattle Kraken's acquisition of Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment for a 2026 3rd-round pick and a 2025 4th-round pick, many thought it was a coup from GM Jason Botterill as he picked up a very solid offensive forward on the cheap.
Toronto left frustrated after losing out on Mason Marchment: Elliotte Friedman
But no team seemed to be more upset that they couldn't get their hands on Marchment than the Toronto Maple Leafs; at least according to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman.
Writing in his 32 Thoughts blog, he explained that the vibe around Toronto was that they were very frustrated not being able to seal the deal on bringing back their former forward:
The Maple Leafs wanted Mason Marchment, and were disappointed not to get him.
It makes a lot of sense why the Maple Leafs would want to get Marchment, given that he only spent 20 games with them before being shipped off to the Florida Panthers for Denis Malgin; a trade the Leafs are kicking themselves over to this very day.
He would have provided a very reliable, consistent physical presence while bringing some much needed secondary scoring. If the team wanted to change their identity this summer, he would have been a great place to start.
Marchment, 30, had 47 points in 62 games for the Stars (22G, 25A) while adding a plus-15 rating in 15:20 TOI. He has one year left on his deal and is making $4.5-million next year.
There's a likelihood that the Maple Leafs could end up signing him next year in free agency, but that depends heavily on Seattle not keeping him around, and Toronto ignoring the slew of free agents available on the market in 2026.
Toronto needs to focus on added cheaper veterans to fill the holes
So what does Toronto do now? They need to start buckling down, because as the days pass, and their targets keep dropping, then there's not going to be a whole lot they can do.
Instead they need to focus on trying to bring in some much smaller names and veteran role players to help fill the void.
If they wanted to add physicality to the mix, guys like Tanner Jeannot and Cody Glass are available and will be very reasonable prices.
Scoring was a sore spot, and so was their defense on the third line so what about Pius Suter? He's coming off a 25-goal season, plays solid defense, kills penalties, and while he's not the greatest face-off man, he can get the job done when needed.
They could also look to go after Patrick Kane or Claude Giroux, two legends of the modern era who are looking to get paid after solid campaigns, and with Toronto's history of signing wily veterans; it's a possibility.
But whatever way Brad Treliving and the Maple Leafs want to approach it, they need to get things sorted out soon.
Not to mention they haven't even addressed the Matthew Knies-sized elephant in the room yet either.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 21 | 673 ANSWERS Elliotte Friedman: Maple Leafs Left Frustrated After Failed Trade for Key Offseason Target Who should the Maple Leafs go after now they missed out on Mason Marchment? | ||
| Brad Marchand | 343 | 51 % |
| Brandon Tanev | 152 | 22.6 % |
| Brock Boeser | 122 | 18.1 % |
| Jamie Benn | 56 | 8.3 % |
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