Elliotte Friedman Reveals The Next Major Trade Involving The Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Should Steer Away From Rentals
With Nikita Zadorov off the table and now a Vancouver Canuck, Toronto Maple Leafs' General Manager Brad Treliving faces the challenge of fortifying his blue line through alternative means.Renowned insider Elliotte Friedman emphasized the pitfalls of relying on rental players, especially given the Leafs' experiences last year. The departures of Ryan O'Reilly, Luke Schenn, and Noel Acciari in the summer left Toronto empty-handed after investing significantly in trades for these players.
"Toronto is down three defensemen: Mark Giordano (injured Tuesday, length of time to be determined), John Klingberg (could be rest of the season), and Timothy Liljegren (already out three weeks). As they consider what to do, the biggest question might be, 'Is this the year to spend key assets on rentals?' A less-costly depth option, OK. Someone with term or that you know you can sign, all right. But a pure rental? Do they think that makes sense for this team, this season?"
Despite the challenges, there are still appealing options for Treliving, such as Sean Walker or Ilya Lyubushkin. The emphasis, however, is on avoiding the sacrifice of future assets for players who might depart after a few months.
The Perfect Trade Candidate Emerges For The Toronto Maple Leafs
An intriguing possibility mentioned is Chris Tanev, despite being a rental. As a Toronto native, Friedman suggests that Treliving might have a better chance of retaining him.
"He's a Toronto guy, Treliving signed him (in Calgary), I bet you he'll have a good idea of what it will take to keep him (in Toronto)," Friedman stated on the 32 Thoughts podcast. "That's the one guy I think Toronto goes hard to get, because even if he's acquired as a rental, I think they're going to be pretty confident they can keep him. But we'll see."
The trade deadline approaches, and the question lingers: Who should Treliving pursue to reinforce the Leafs' defense?
As reported on Hockey Feed - Maple Leafs planning blockbuster deal ahead of trade deadline?!
POLL | ||
December 2 | 304 answers Elliotte Friedman Reveals The Next Major Trade Involving The Toronto Maple Leafs Who do you think the Maple Leafs should pursue? | ||
Chris Tanev | 137 | 45.1 % |
Noah Hanifin | 94 | 30.9 % |
Andrew Peeke | 36 | 11.8 % |
Sean Walker | 37 | 12.2 % |
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