Three Unexpected Trade Candidates Emerge For Maple Leafs

These three unexpected players could emerge as top candidates for a potential trade should the Leafs look to make a move as the season goes on. These surprising players could have potential returns for the Leafs both in the short term and long term.

Max Domi

Max Domi was signed to a 1-year deal this offseason, to the delight of many Leafs fans who were hoping for some nostalgia for Domi's father's era. However, the 1-year deal brings some uncertainty for the Leafs.





Domi is off to a slower start this year than he would like, and has found himself logging bottom-six minutes for the team. While it is still extremely early, he has also gotten off to a slower start, recording 1 assist and a minus 3 in 4 games played. If there is potential to trade Domi for an impact bottom-six player, the Leafs may consider it, since they may lose Domi next year anyway.

John Klingberg

Many Leaf fans were excited to see Treliving sign another offensive defenseman to the team, nabbing John Klingberg to a 1-year deal. He has delivered on that front, putting up 3 assists in 4 games so far this year. However, his defensive ability has been lacking, and some costly mistakes have highlighted just whether or not Klingberg's offence is worth it.

Ilya Samsonov

Again, it is still early in the season, and while Samsonov has had a rough start to the year so far, there is plenty of time to turn things around. However, with Samsonov being a UFA next year, there is a possibility that the goaltender could be moved if he fails to live up to last year's performance. This is a longshot, though, since the Leafs' goalie depth is lacking, especially with Murray out on LTIR.



As seen on The Hockey Writers - "3 Maple Leafs Dark Horse Trade Candidates for 2023-24"