Maple Leafs-Penguins Trade Could Be Closer Than Fans Think, Friedman Reveals

There has been tons of chatter over the last several weeks around the Pittsburgh Penguins and whether or not they are going to make a deal involving one of their veterans in order to give them a better chance at drafting Gavin McKenna in 2026.

The Maple Leafs have been connected heavily to names like Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and even Erik Karlsson but so far nothing has materialized, though Toronto has the pieces to facilitate a trade.

According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, while there hasn't been any noise so far, things are expected to heat up later in August, and fans just need to be patient:

It's been a lot of the same talk from pretty much every insider, and several trade boards have multiple Penguins slotted in as potential trade pieces.

But with the Maple Leafs desperate to get a deal done for a top-six forward, could their aggressiveness force Kyle Dubas' hand?

We know it's no secret that Brad Treliving wants to add to his top-six and the Penguins have two perfect candidates in Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust. They both offer a great scoring touch and while Rust is less of a physical force than Rakell, he brings a ton of intangibles to the lineup.

Plus his experience playing alongside Sidney Crosby means that he should have a seamless transition well beside Auston Matthews and give him yet another star to thrive off of.

Toronto's got enough young talent to give Pittsburgh NHL-ready players and prospects while also not giving them enough to make a true impact. Nick Robertson just signed a bargain deal, and Dennis Hildeby needs somewhere to go; especially if Toronto is going to extend Anthony Stolarz.

With the summer winding down as each day passes, the urgency to make a deal spikes, and if Dubas is truly committed to a rebuild and going after McKenna, then he has to take what he can get at this point.

It could be enough for Dubas to part ways with one of his two forwards, and as the summer drags on the deadline will only get shorter, and if both parties want to get something done then time is of the essence.

Brad Treliving is also under a lot of pressure to get a deal done, as the depth moves he made were great but unfortunately aren't the big splashes the fans were expecting.

So if fans can be a bit more patient, it looks like we might have a big trade on our hands that could change both the Maple Leafs' and Penguins' futures.