The Maple Leafs can trade a goalie they do not need for the center they have always wanted

The Toronto Maple Leafs can feel confident in trading one of their veterans knowing that Artur Akhtyamov is ready, and it could bring them the 2C they need.

Akhtyamov has been lights out for the Toronto Marlies in the Calder Cup Playoffs, recording a 9-4-0 record with a blistering 2.03 GAA and .928 SV%. He's stopped 67 of 70 shots so far in the Eastern Conference Finals and looks ready to make the leap. With the Maple Leafs needing a 2C, Akhtyamov has made Joseph Woll expendable and he could bring in the exact piece they need.

That playoff performance has led many in the Maple Leafs organization to believe that Akhtyamov is the real deal.

If that's the case, then the Maple Leafs have a logjam in net they need to figure out, though it might not be the worst set of circumstances.

Artur Akhtyamov proving he's the real deal and it's making the Maple Leafs veteran goalies expendable

Reason being is that the Maple Leafs desperately need a new 2C to replace John Tavares so he can slide down to the 3C position and have a bit less responsibility as he gets older. They have the perfect one sitting in New York with Vincent Trocheck, and it's about giving the Rangers what they need.

Well, in addition to some top-six help which could come in the form of Nick Robertson, the Rangers would love to have a solid veteran presence backing up Igor Shesterkin and with Jonathan Quick's retirement - there's a vacancy in the Big Apple.

Enter Joseph Woll.

You may think it's a little crazy to get rid of Woll over Dennis Hildeby considering you need to deal with him going through waivers and getting that off your mind is a solid idea but hear me out.

Hildeby has proven that he already can come in to the NHL and be a starter. While his record this year wasn't amazing (5-7-4) it was his other stats that were impressive with a 2.86 GAA and .912 SV% which was actually the best statistics of all five Maple Leafs goalies in 2025-26 (Woll, Stolarz, Hildeby, Akhtyamov, and Cayden Primeau).

Woll is signed for until 2028 for only $3.67-million dollars per year. That's a steal for a genuine top-15 starter in the NHL and for a team like New York who has almost ten RFA contracts to deal with this year and the next; they need some stability.

So here's how the deal might play out:

To Toronto:

(C) Vincent Trocheck

To New York Rangers:

(F) Nick Robertson
(G) Joseph Woll
2027 2nd Round Pick (CBJ)

A goalie needy team like the Rangers could give Toronto exactly the piece they need to compete once again

As we previously mentioned, Vincent Trocheck would be the piece Toronto wants back and honestly if New York is making some big changes they should at least entertain it. He's 32, makes $5.625-million for the next three years, and if the team is a few seasons from competing; he's just there as a veteran voice for a big price.

Trocheck would fit seamlessly into the lineup as their 2C and provide that penalty killing and elite defensive game that would help ease the burden on Auston Matthews. Plus he's averaged 48.5 points and 141 hits over his career so you're getting offensive consistency, physicality, and elite defence.

Here's how the lineup with Trocheck would look if the deal were to be struck:

Knies - Matthews - McKenna
Cowan - Trocheck - Nylander
Joshua - Tavares - Maccelli
Lorentz - Quillan/Haymes - Groulx*

*Denotes placeholder for Max Domi

That right there gives you a balanced lineup that provides elite two-way play through at least the first three lines, and you have some serious scoring ability clearly with McKenna, Matthews, Knies, Nylander and Cowan.

Throwing in Trocheck evens things out and opens up so much more space for the stars that we could see a 5-10 goal increase from everyone.

It might not be the perfect deal and Toronto may need to sweeten things a little more if New York is playing hardball with their veteran talent. But it's certainly worth it, and given they have Woll's replacement crushing it - he could be the one booted out this summer.

Also read on Hockey Patrol :
The son of a former Maple Leafs AGM is re-entering the NHL draft and Toronto has a chance to bring him home