Confirmed deal : Toronto Maple Leafs Should Trade Every Draft Pick and Prospect

 

 

The Toronto Maple Leafs have 16 draft picks, including a 2026 and 2027 first-round pick in the next three years and a plethora of great prospects that they should trade at the NHL Trade Deadline

Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving feels like that general manager in your fantasy league that says he’s willing to make a trade, but all of his top players are untouchable. He calls you looking to trade for Connor McDavid, but is only willing to offer Alex Kerfoot, Max Domi, Bobby McMann and a third-round pick.

 

 

Big trades that change a franchise require risk-taking, but for whatever reason Treliving has never taken a big swing since he joined the Leafs. Maybe it’s because he still has nightmares from the Matthew Tkachuk experience, but he’s also never made a blockbuster at the NHL Trade Deadline. I’m not asking for Treliving to be Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon, who is probably the boldest executive in hockey, but I would like him to be closer to former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas.

I understand the importance of draft picks and development, but there are so many factors that can happen, even when you draft or develop a great player. For example, you can hold onto Nick Robertson for four years thinking he’s going to be a 30-goal scorer in the NHL, but before you know it, he’s getting healthy scratched for Ryan Reaves.

 

At the same time, you can have a 26 year old prospect, coming off a stint in the ECHL, who can all of a sudden jump into the NHL and make a difference, such as Bobby McMann.

 

The Leafs don’t have to draft and develop talent as well as other organizations in the NHL to begin with, because players will always want to play here. With $30M in cap-space, the Leafs will have no issue filling their roster with great talent and players who will be better than Fraser Minten, Easton Cowan and Ben Danford.

I’m not saying that the Leafs should trade all of those prospects and their future first-round picks for someone like Ryan O’Reilly, but if a player such as Mikko Rantanen or someone of that stature became available, why wouldn’t you trade anything and everything for them?