Every path to a Maple Leafs trade now runs through two names, and both are off-limits
Photo credit: Steven Ellis - The Nation Network
According to NHL insider David Pagnotta, any meaningful trade the Toronto Maple Leafs attempt will inevitably involve Ben Danford or Easton Cowan but both are considered off limits creating a tough situation if they want to improve.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been rumoured to be working on a deal to bring in some type of help whether that be a top-six playmaker or puck-moving defenseman though either one would give the team a huge boost going forward.
But making a trade isn't going to be easy, and with a lack of real assets the team is struggling to put together a suitable package that both brings them the player they need without sacrificing the rest of their future.
What teams are asking Toronto for, and why the Leafs won't cross that line
However according to NHL Insider David Pagnotta, they may have no other option.
Speaking on Winnipeg Sports Talk on Nov. 20, Pagnotta explained that the Maple Leafs don't have any big assets to trade, and they are saying no to Easton Cowan and Ben Danford being included:
They don't have significant assets that they're willing to trade, they're not trading Easton Cowan, they don't wanna move Ben Danford.
So if anything, That leaves Toronto with their 2028 first‑round pick as their only premium asset, along with depth pieces from the NHL and AHL levels if they wanna make a deal.
The team is trying not to repeat history by trading off their future for a chance to win, and knowing how that hasn't worked time and time again, repeating that approach has rarely produced the results the organization hoped for.
How refusing to move Cowan or Danford limits every trade Toronto wants to make
With the team seemingly deciding that both Cowan and Danford are off limits, is there anyone on the team who could move the needle?
If Toronto wanted to explore moving roster players, options like Matias Maccelli, Brandon Carlo, or Bobby McMann could be considered but none of them would headline a major trade without additional assets like picks or prospects.
Maccelli is still young and has a lot of potential, but hasn't looked like a fit in Toronto's system, and with a fairly cheap deal and restricted free agency ahead of him -- that's a great piece for a young team.
He's only got nine points in 21 games, and Maccelli has rotated through multiple lines and hasn't established a consistent role. A team like Chicago, Anaheim, or Washington could use a player like him.
Carlo has been steady but hasn't provided the shutdown impact Toronto hoped for; though they aren't lacking in those throughout the organization.
What's a huge selling point regarding Carlo is that he is only 28, makes roughly $4-million for two more seasons, and is still one of the more capable defenders over the last half decade -- he's just having a tough time in Toronto.
Exchanging him for a puck-moving defenseman would allow a lot more balance and depth throughout the lineup, and give some reprieve to Morgan Rielly, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and now Troy Stecher.
McMann remains a valuable contract with scoring upside, but his production has fluctuated and it's been a struggle to stay consistent. He scored 20 goals last season but has not built upon that this season with only eight points in 22 games.
Only making $1.35-million, that's a steal for someone with 20-goal potential, and with him being a late bloomer still has a chance to succeed, but not at the expense of Toronto losing out on a piece that will work within their game plan.
The Maple Leafs deciding to hold onto both their rookies shows a change in mentality when it comes to how they approach trades, but refusing to move Cowan or Danford significantly narrows what types of trades are realistically available.
Previously on Hockey Patrol
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