Hall Of Famer Almost Came To The Leafs in 2007

Chris Pronger Reminisces NHL Career

Chris Pronger was on TSN 1050's First Up this morning. During the show he talked about his involvement in trade discussions between the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2006-07 season. Eventually he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks of course, who went on to win the Stanley Cup that year. It all worked out in the end for Pronger.


As he discussed the Maple Leafs' current defense core, Pronger dropped quite the bombshell. Apparently, the Oilers were deeply invested in discussions with the Toronto Maple Leafs about a trade that would have sent the legendary defenseman to Toronto. As far as what-ifs go, this is a pretty big one.

A Franchise Changing Decision

Pronger detailed the trade discussions that ended up being a huge missed opportunity for the Maple Leafs. When Toronto failed to come to terms with the Oilers, Pronger ended up going to Anaheim instead. Hindsight is 20/20, but the Leafs must have felt silly after missing out on that opportunity.


As Toronto gears up for another long season, Pronger's story reminds us of the significance of trade decisions and their lasting impact on a team. Often we find ourselves looking back at trade deadline deals astonished at how badly they turned out, but sometimes it goes the other way around. A great deal that could have propelled a team to a championship fell apart and we are left to wonder why they couldn't work something out.

Impactful players are hard to come across outside of the draft these days in the NHL. When the opportunity does arise, bold moves can define a franchise for a decade or longer, for good, or for bad. So the question remains: if the Leafs get another chance to bring in a game-changing defenseman, will Brad Treliving be able to pull it off?

As read on: NHL Trade Talk - "NHL Hall of Famer Almost Traded to Maple Leafs in 2007"