Why the Maple Leafs were never an option for Mason Marchment

When the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Mason Marchment right before the roster freeze, it was meant to give them a boost in the lineup as they make a push for a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division by adding a potential 20+ goal scorer with a lot of grit.

The Maple Leafs were a team who were heavily linked to the forward however nothing materialized and he was sent elsewhere. It was a bit disappointing considering how effective he's been so far in Columbus, and Toronto could have seriously used him in their lineup.

However it seems like that was never a possibility.

A new report from Michael Futa and confirmed by Elliotte Friedman showed that the Maple Leafs were a team on Marchment's no-trade list and the Seattle Kraken would have needed his permission.

They also mention that Columbus was not one of those teams, so GM Ron Francis could trade him as he pleased:

Therein lies the caveat with Toronto finding a deal somewhere, as much as they would love a player like Marchment, if they aren't on the destination list; then you aren't getting a deal done.

Which is why it's so important that when Toronto does have a player willing to play there, then they need to be proactive and try to bring them in. While we don't know for certain who is itching to play for the Maple Leafs; there's certainly players who would entertain the idea.

We heard that Rasmus Andersson may be willing to sign an extension with Toronto, and if he doesn't end up breaking the bank for the team then he's certainly a player who can boost the lineup.

The Maple Leafs have already seen guys like Anthony Stolarz, John Tavares and Matthew Knies all sign reasonable extensions, so clearly there's a desire to win in Toronto.

Media pressure and fan backlash is such a minor nuisance in the grand scheme of things. Yes, they are a bit harsh at times but every team deals with media and fan pressure; this isn't strictly a Toronto issue.

If they can find a player who is just as amped up but also brings a real impact to the lineup, then it could be the recipe for success.

The team just has to hope that someone out there wants to don the blue and white in their career.