The Toronto Maple Leafs will look to be aggressive this offseason in hopes of reshaping their roster.
NHL analyst Thomas Williams of EditorInLeaf proposed a stunning one-for-one blockbuster with the Anaheim Ducks that would see Toronto acquire Trevor Zegras.
Maple Leafs acquire:
Ducks acquire:
The proposed deal would be a blockbuster as Toronto would deal their top prospect in exchange for a star young forward who could thrive in a big market.
The Maple Leafs would acquire Zegras, who would be a top-six forward and could replace Mitch Marner. He’s entering the final year of his three-year, $17.25 million deal and will be an RFA at the end of the next season. Zegras entered the NHL with plenty of hype, but he has had mixed results, and his name has come up in trade talks. Zegras recorded 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points in 57 games.
In return, the Maple Leafs would trade Easton Cowan, who is Toronto’s top prospect. Cowan was selected 28th overall in 2023, and the 20-year-old would likely make Anaheim’s roster next season. The young forward projects to be a middle-six forward in the NHL. But with Toronto looking to compete for a Cup, adding someone like Zegras, who is a better player right now, makes sense.
Analyst Explains Stunning Maple Leafs-Ducks Blockbuster
The proposed deal would be a blockbuster, but one that Williams believes makes sense for both sides.
Toronto would take a swing on Zegras becoming a star player in the NHL as he was projected to be after his draft.
“This is the big win-now swing,” Williams wrote. “Trevor Zegras was once heralded as the next-best forward who would take over the hockey world with his ultra-skilled approach to the game…
“In exchange, they give up their top prospect Easton Cowan but in reality, if he reaches his ceiling he is just a smaller playmaker on the wing who doesn’t have a whole lot of footspeed. He would be great hypothetically,” Williams added. “But Toronto needs more certainty. Zegras, while still uncertain how he has recovered from his injury, is still more of a sure thing than Cowan. It’s one of those shrewd moves that the very best teams and Stanley Cup champions pull off multiple times. Toronto has not done that very often or at all. They need to take a swing.”
The trade would be a blockbuster, showing Toronto is all-in on winning next season.
Maple Leafs Coach Has Confidence in Team
Toronto had another early playoff exit, but Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube remains confident in the group.
The Maple Leafs have yet to been able to get over the hump with this core, but Berube believes they took the right steps this season.
“I really like this team. I think this is a very good team,” Berube said. “To get over that hump, we have to learn from this Game 7 here, going forward. And we’ll learn from it and we’ll be better. They’re different teams, they were constructed differently from this team, but they’re both capable of winning. We just have to learn to do things a little bit differently in new games and new moments.”
The Maple Leafs now enter an offseason with Mitch Marner and John Tavares as pending free agents.
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