Maple Leafs are pushing for a trade as the market exposes their limits
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs are pushing hard for a deal according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman as the trade market has dictated what they are going to need to pay.
There have been reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to make a deal to either acquire a top-four puck-moving defenseman, or add a top-six threat to their forward group as they look to salvage their season and make a strong playoff push.
But it's going to be an expensive trade if they truly want to improve, and with a report from Elliotte Friedman stating the team wants to make 'roster for roster' moves as opposed to dealing their futures -- it makes things even harder.
What Elliotte Friedman actually said about the Maple Leafs' trade hunt
Well Friedman added more to that earlier report with his latest Saturday's Headlines segment on Sportsnet's Hockey Night in Canada broadcast.
Speaking about the Maple Leafs, Friedman noted that the team has been pushing hard to make a trade, but that they are not looking to move any of their core players and are instead exploring other options.
Friedman said on the broadcast:
They're really looking, they're trying to do things, they don't wanna trade the Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, Knies, that's not happening, but they have looked around.
So the big four are off the table in Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander, and Matthew Knies.
Friedman did also previously note that the Maple Leafs were not interested in trading their prospects like Easton Cowan or Ben Danford, and aren't keen on dangling their 2028 first-round pick in a deal either.
Why the Leafs' limited asset pool makes every trade harder than fans think
So that means the team is going to need to deal from a very limited pool of both NHL and AHL assets, and need to get creative and a bit lucky in order to get a deal done.
So who does that leave? It's not a big list, but there are still names who could move the needle.
They include:
- Matias Maccelli
- Max Domi
- Morgan Rielly
- Brandon Carlo
- Simon Benoit
- Bobby McMann
- Nick Robertson
- Calle Jarnkrok
- Max Domi
- Morgan Rielly
- Brandon Carlo
- Simon Benoit
- Bobby McMann
- Nick Robertson
- Calle Jarnkrok
While there is no evidence the team is looking to trade these names, simple process of elimination based on Friedman's comments makes them the most logical candidates on paper.
The issue with several of these players is that their contracts are not cheap, and even smaller deals like Domi's or Maccelli's can look pricey given their inconsistent production.
Teams know that if Toronto wants to make a move they will pay nearly any price to do it. If the Maple Leafs are truly standing firm on not trading their big names or pieces, then expect at least one or two roster members leaving with one of them being a young player.
In simple terms, if Toronto refuses to touch its core and top prospects, every potential deal becomes a test of Brad Treliving's creativity and a real risk that the Leafs get outbid by teams with deeper pools of picks and young talent.
Right now, the team is in a stretch that will determine heavily how they approach a trade. If they can gather momentum into Christmas, then perhaps they'll feel a bit more confident about making a trade.
But their path to get there isn't exactly straight, and even though they're working hard -- still need to navigate a plethora of twists and turns.
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