Maple Leafs Trade With Blues Could Be Considered Complete Failure
Photo credit: Hockey Patrol
It's safe to say that the Ryan O'Reilly trade ended in misery, and it could potentially end up being the worst deal the team has made due to the package they gave up.
There was a lot of hype surrounding the Maple Leafs when they brought in Ryan O'Reilly as well as Noel Acciari for their playoff push and while there was some success in the season, it never translated into a strong playoff push and the team was swiftly eliminated in the second round.
O'Reilly skipped town shortly after, citing some locker room turmoil and issues with how he perceived the past locker room's attitude. It was an unfortunate turn of events, that also saw the Leafs lose Noel Acciari who signed with the Penguins in free agency.
Revisiting the Trade and What the Leafs Gave Up
But what they gave up, and what they got in return is night and day, and might be considered one of, if not one of the worst trades in recent memory.
Toronto traded Mikhail Abramov, Adam Gaudette, their 2023 first and third round picks, as well as a 2024 2nd rounder; plus Minnesota also received Toronto's 2025 4th rounder.
It was a hefty package that has seen them lose out on not only some future prospects, but a young gritty scorer.
Gaudette came into his own with the Senators last season, popping off for 19 goals and being a surprise but the picks that Toronto gave up ended up could still have a future; it's another case of the Leafs mortgaging their future for the chance to win now.
Granted, Abramov is currently in the KHL and the picks the teams made with the Leafs' selections aren't exactly jumping off the page, however it's a wonder what could have been had Toronto not traded them.
How Letting Every Asset Walk Turned a Win Into a Loss
It also would have solved their 3C woes over the last few seasons if O'Reilly stuck around, and there is a very good chance he could have been the counterfoil to Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand.
They also could have had Gaudette as the perfect mid-level scoring threat who is gritty and could play perfectly in a Craig Berube system, but was never afforded the opportunity to stick around, and again; a deterrent to some of the nastier players in the league.
Each potential player they move on from leaves them another body to replace, and there could have been several problems saved if they were able to keep O'Reilly and Acciari; we may have seen Nikita Grebenkin and Fraser Minten still around too.
But for now the Maple Leafs need to lie in the bed they've made themselves. It's not hopeless at all, but a very bad case of buyer's remorse.
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