While the Toronto Maple Leafs figure out their top-six, they could look to acquire Buffalo's Jack Quinn, whose name has been floating around the trade rumour mill.
As the NHL offseason ticks away, teams are quieting down their moves slightly but that doesn't mean the trade speculation is stopping anytime soon. Morgan Rielly's a name who could be dealt shortly, and there's always a potential Dylan Larkin or Jack Hughes trade kicking about that comes when we least expect it.
There's no real guarantee that we will see a move made but with teams like Toronto and Carolina still looking to add pieces in order to shore up some potential holes in the lineup, we very well may see something come up.
For Toronto, their issue right now is adding one more top-six piece. They did a great job at improving their bottom-six and the blueline looks a lot more mobile and puck-movement oriented (though a true #1 wouldn't hurt) but their main focus needs to now be improving the forward corps.
Jack Quinn's name has suddenly appeared in trade talks as Buffalo mulls their options
Which is why the latest news from David Pagnotta is news to John Chayka's ears as he could find himself adding a young 20-goal scorer from one of his biggest rivals.
Pagnotta reported on DFO Rundown that he heard Buffalo's Jack Quinn had been making his way around the trade rumour mill and his name started popping up here and there:
[Jack Quinn] His name has been kind of making the rounds.
Quinn, 24, is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound lightning bolt who would add yet another speedster to the Maple Leafs lineup. He just put up a career-high 20 goals with the Sabres in 2025-26 while adding 31 assists and 52 hits in only 15:39 TOI.
In the final year of his deal and an RFA, Buffalo may not be able to afford him especially with the rising cap, and if the team feels like they can get ahead of what could be a massive pay raise then it may behoove GM Jarmo Kekkelainen to do so.
Toronto should break the bank to acquire Quinn from their cross-border rivals
Look, if you're John Chayka and want to improve the Maple Leafs, you need to add speed, scoring and youth. Quinn adds all three and if you're wanting to win now (while also preparing for the future) then trying hard to acquire him isn't a bad idea.
Trade away that 2027 first-rounder from Colorado, and add perhaps players like William Villeneuve and Dakota Joshua (two lower-end talents). You're trading for a player who is still a few years away from his prime but is a proven goal-scorer who can add a great dynamic to your top-six but is still needing a new deal, so you can be flexible with the package.
Cowan is great but imagine having Quinn's speed alongside Gavin McKenna and Auston Matthews. That alone could lead to some insane numbers as McKenna can find Quinn streaking along the ice and he can use his breakneck speed to get one-on-one opportunities and score.
Plus, how sweet would it be to actually hinder a rival for once? We've seen several Atlantic teams improve steadily with big name acquisitions, so why not try and take at least one of them down a peg or two by removing a top scoring threat?
Auston Matthews and company are one or two pieces away from truly being competitive and if John Chayka truly has his heart set on winning as soon as possible, then going after Quinn is a great way to improve those odds.
Should Toronto try and go after Jack Quinn to shore up their top-six?
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