Maple Leafs trade deadline matchmaker: Who’s the best fit for Toronto?
| Copper | Leaf player of interest | 1st round pick available | 2nd round pick available | Interesting salary dump | Potential target for leaves |
Anaheim | Anthony Stolarz | Y | Y | Pavel Mintyukov | |
Boston | Brandon Carlo | J (2) | Y | ||
Buffalo | Simon Benoit/Troy Stecher | Y | N | ||
Carolina | Nick Robertson / Matias Maccelli / Bobby McMann / Scott Laughton | Y | N | Jesperi Kotkaniemi | |
Colorado | Scott Laughton/Nicolas Roy | N | N | ||
Dallas | Nick Robertson / Matias Maccelli / Max Domi / Bobby McMann | N | Y | ||
Detroit | Oliver Ekman-Larsson | Y | Y | Justin Hol | |
Edmonton | Bobby McMann | N | Y | Andrew Mangiapane/Adam Henrique | Matt Savoy |
Minnesota | Max Domi | N | N | ||
Montreal | Scott Laughton/Nicolas Roy | Y | Y | Patrick Laine | |
NY Islanders | Nick Robertson / Matias Maccelli | J (2) | N | ||
Pittsburgh | Simon Benoit/Troy Stecher | Y | J (2) | Matt Dumba | |
Seattle | Nick Robertson/Bobby McMann | J (2) | Y | Shane Wright | |
Tampa | Nick Robertson/Bobby McMann | N | Y | ||
Utah | Max Domi | Y | J (3) | ||
Vegas | Bobby McMann/Scott Laughton/Nick Robertson/Matias Maccelli/Max Domi | N | Y |
Some additional thoughts:
When it comes down to Buffalo having a first-round pick, it probably doesn’t matter, nor does the fact that they don’t have a second-round pick when their best potential targets are Benoit and Stecher. Neither Stecher nor Benoit will get another one in return, unless you look at a situation like Pittsburgh, where they may want to offload Dumba’s contract while bringing back a cheaper defenseman.
The Avalanche are interesting because they have been so dominant this year but are in a tough position when it comes to adding them given their shallow prospect pool and lack of resources in 2026. As much as it should be in the Leafs’ best interest to look at 2026 draft picks rather than deferring to later drafts, if there is a matchup with the Avs, it should involve Toronto looking to 2027.
Detroit seems like a really interesting option for the Maple Leafs to explore. Steve Yzerman isn’t shy about moves and their combination of futures and likely desire to dump Justin Holl’s salary makes them one of the most interesting options for a Leafs team that shouldn’t be shy about making trades in their own division.
The wide open Pacific Ocean is something the Leafs should take advantage of. Currently, none of the teams in the Pacific would be in the playoffs if they were in the East, and with the Kings adding Panarin and potentially pushing the Ducks, Kraken, Oilers and Knights, the Leafs and other vendors can cash in on the league’s most mediocre arms race.
VIEW THE ROSTER – NEW EPISODES EVERY WEEKDAY
#Maple #Leafs #trade #deadline #matchmaker #Whos #fit #Toronto