Trade Pitch Has Maple Leafs Acquiring Former 4th-Overall Pick

The Toronto Maple Leafs focused on improving their defense this offseason but one trade pitch has them acquiring Adam Larsson from the Seattle Kraken.

Larsson was drafted fourth overall in the 2011 NHL draft and has really found his game with the Kraken. Yet, with Seattle likely not competing for a Stanley Cup, the website PuckPedia has a new tool called PuckGM that lets users create their own trades and one user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs acquire the defenseman.

Maple Leafs get:

• Adam Larsson

Kraken get:

• Timothy Liljegren
• David Kampf
• 2025 second-round pick (Florida’s)

The proposed deal does make sense for both teams as Toronto gets a much better defenseman in Larsson to bolster their D-core. Larsson. is 31 and is entering the final year of his four-year $16 million deal.

Last season with Seattle, Larsson skated in 81 games recording 4 goals and 14 assists for 18 points. He would project as the Maple Leafs’ second-line right-shot defenseman and would make Toronto that much more difficult to play against.

Seattle, meanwhile, gets younger as the main part of the deal is Liljegren who is a former first-round pick and is just 25. Liljegren signed a two-year $6 million extension with the Maple Leafs this offseason, but the Swede hasn’t been given a major role in Toronto, but with Seattle, he could see time on the top-pairing.

The Kraken would also get a second-round pick to help bolster their prospect group and Kampf who can help the bottom of Seattle’s lineup and defense.

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Maple Leafs Focused on Defense in Free Agency

Entering the offseason, Toronto made it clear that defense was their primary.

Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said defense was their main priority after the 2024 NHL draft on June 29.

“Well, I think there’s lots of priorities. I think for us, I don’t think it’s a secret. Our defense is an area that we’d like to see if we can improve,” Treliving said on June 29. “You know, easier said than done. But that’s certainly an area that we’ve been focused on… I would say we’re looking to add more than one.”

The Maple Leafs did address defense as Toronto inked Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson to multi-year deals to bolster their defense.

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Kraken Land 2 Key Players in Free Agency

After missing out on the playoffs last season, Seattle was active in free agency to bolster their roster.

On July 1 on the opening day of free agency, the Kraken landed star defenseman Brandon Montour from the Florida Panthers to a seven-year $50 million deal. Montour was a key part of the Panthers team that won the Stanley Cup as he recorded 3 goals and 8 assists for 11 points in 23 playoff games.

Then, after the Montour signing, Seattle signed forward Chandler Stephenson to a seven-year $43.75 million deal. Stephenson won the cup with Vegas in 2023 and last season, he recorded 16 goals and 35 assists for 51 points in 75 games.

“It’s an exciting day for the Kraken organization and our fans, right?” said Francis. “It just goes to show that players want to come to Seattle. They want to play for this organization. They want to play in front of our great fans.”

Seattle will open its 2024-25 NHL season on Oct. 8 at home against the St. Louis Blues.

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