Toronto Maple Leafs Have Some Major Issues Heading Into the Trade Deadline
With the NHL trade deadline being less than a month away, the Toronto Maple Leafs face a big challenge in pursuing a middle-six center.
Brad Treliving carefully navigates the cap situation while weighing the cost of parting with top prospects like Fraser Minten and Easton Cowan to secure an upgrade.
What does the Toronto Maple Leafs need to do if they want to make a trade possible?
The Leafs must get creative to add a high-end player since they are very tight with the salary cap.
Former GM Kyle Dubas often used draft picks to involve third teams for salary retention which is a tactic that brought in players like Ryan O'Reilly and Jake McCabe.
However, years of trading picks and prospects have left the Leafs' asset pool relatively thin and it's now limiting Treliving's flexibility for a trade.
Another complication is the number of players with trade protection since Toronto has 12 players with some form of no-trade clausesand is ranking second in the league behind the New York Islanders.
Six players have full no-movement clauses, while another six have modified no-trade clauses, which complicate efforts to trade salary.
Players like Calle Jarnkrok and Jani Hakanpää who both have modified no-trade clauses could become trade candidates depending on their health.
But Brad Treliving may opt for an easier path by moving players like Conor Timmins or Simon Benoit who lack trade protection and have an higher-than-minimum salaries.
Speculation around acquiring someone like Dylan Cozens shows the complexity of balancing talent upgrades with salary cap constraints.
While there is time before the trade deadline, the Leafs' path is anything but sure and straighforward.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 12 | 187 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs Have Some Major Issues Heading Into the Trade Deadline Do you think Brad Treliving will succeed in making a trade before the trade deadline? | ||
| Yes | 163 | 87.2 % |
| No | 24 | 12.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
