Maple Leafs get a glimpse at what a top-end addition could cost after recent trades

It was a bit of a stunning night for the NHL as we saw two fairly big trades right before the roster freeze. First, Phillip Danault was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for a 2026 second-round pick, meanwhile Mason Marchment was traded to Columbus for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder.

Both men were heavily linked in trade rumors over the past several weeks, and now they take their talents to their respective teams and try to help them make a push towards the playoffs.

The Maple Leafs certainly could have used one of, if not both players, and if the team is really looking to improve, at least they have a better idea of what that might cost.

And it looks like the team isn't really going to be able to afford much.

If you take a look at what the assets given up for Danault and Marchment were, you get to see where exactly the market lies. Even if you're going after some secondary names it's going to cost you a decent amount.

That amount is almost too much for Toronto, as they only have a 2028 first-round pick to deal from, and while they have a few second-round picks to deal from, the market isn't full of stragglers, and a real improvement is going to take real assets.

That means that guys like Ben Danford and Easton Cowan might be in play, and in the case of the latter it's a double edged-sword. On one hand, he has shown that he can hang at the NHL level and can help out now.

But on the other hand, if Toronto is truly as confident in themselves as they've boasted they are, then they may trade the future for the last chance to win now.

As we've seen however, the Maple Leafs have been torched by their neglected pieces and if Cowan heads elsewhere and turns into a stud; this is going to be much worse than Fraser Minten becoming an everyday player.

Guys like Max Domi, Matias Maccelli, Brandon Carlo and Bobby McMann could be used to make changes, but they aren't exactly the needle-mover, and it might take a little more sweetening on Toronto's end to facilitate a trade.

But then you're back to giving up pieces you don't necessarily want to, and there's no guarantee that this new player is going to fix what troubles lie beneath the lineup.

So if Toronto wanted to improve their lineup, the cost is going to be more than they can afford. Though when has that ever stopped them before?