The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the teams actively looking to make moves this season. Their subpar performance at the season’s quarter mark has GM Brad Treliving essentially pushing the panic button as the season risks getting away from the team.
As Marco D’Amico noted in a November 19 piece in RG Media, the Maple Leafs are aggressively scouring the market to see what’s out there. Of course, the Leafs are not the only ones looking to upgrade.
In addition to the Maple Leafs, clubs like the Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks are also looking to upgrade in any way they can. That situation could prime the market for a massive move, promising to shake up the aforementioned clubs.
As insider Elliotte Friedman noted in the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, the Maple Leafs are willing to move everyone, except for their core. Friedman revealed that said core consists of four names: Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies, and John Tavares.
Beyond those four names, it seems everyone is fair game, including longtime blueliner Morgan Rielly. As the narrative has described, the Leafs are looking for hockey trades that could lead to “roster-for-roster” moves.
However, the current state of the NHL trade market is hardly conducive to such trades. As D’Amico expounded, would-be sellers are looking to prey on desperate teams. Under that assumption, when would the Maple Leafs be desperate enough to overpay for potentially useful pieces?
When Do the Maple Leafs Officially Become Desperate?
The unofficial signpost coming up at this point is Thanksgiving in the United States. That date marks a point in the season in which teams assess if they’re realistically in line for a playoff spot or not.
So, if the Maple Leafs are not realistically headed to the postseason, does the team push the nuclear option and make a massive move? Or does GM Brad Treliving push back from the table and regroup for next season?
It’s virtually impossible to envisage the Leafs punting on the season. But given the way things are going, there’s really no other way. Toronto is either all-in or ready to fold. There are no bluffs to call here. There are too many teams with good enough hands looking to cash in.
NHL Trade Market Poised to Burst
It seems that the NHL trade market is poised to burst at some point. The animal spirits could return to the trade market as some teams see opportunities to contend. For instance, the Chicago Blackhawks, Utah Mammoth, Detroit Red Wings, or Anaheim Ducks could see an avenue to land a playoff spot this season.
So, these teams could be willing to overpay given the abundance of assets they possess. If that’s the case, it might be no bueno for the Maple Leafs. Toronto lacks the draft and prospect capital to pull off additions.
The Maple Leafs will need to figure out who they can move that offers value to other clubs out there. But as Friedman noted, the ship has sailed on players like Nick Robertson. Similarly, other bottom-six players in Toronto have had such rough starts that it seems implausible to move them.
So, it may come down to a question of the Maple Leafs riding out the season with what they’ve got.
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