The Toronto Maple Leafs and John Chayka have proven that they don’t shy away from striking deals. The NHL season isn’t even two weeks old, yet the biggest deal of the year (thus far) centered on Matthew Knies and Kirill Marchenko. However, a Ben Danford trade pitch has emerged that could benefit the Maple Leafs and their potential trade partner: the Detroit Red Wings.
This trade proposal, posted to the PuckGM section of PuckPedia, would send the Maple Leafs the 6-foot-6 RFA, Simon Edvinsson. In return, the Red Wings would get Easton Cowan and his $900k salary, Danford, plus a 2027 first-round (Colorado Avalanche) and a 2028 second-round draft pick.
This hypothetical trade pitch would have the Maple Leafs shed $900,000 in salary.
Simon Edvinsson Prefers To Be Traded Away From The Detroit Red Wings
Of course, this deal can only happen because Edvinsson has expressed his desire for a change of scenery.
On October 3rd, it was reported that Edvinsson “prefers a trade.” Following that revelation, interim Red Wings GM Shawn Horcoff revealed the team’s position.
“He remains a priority,” Horcoff said via Sportsnet. “We’re doing everything (we) can, working closely with the agents. He’s a big part of our club, and we’d like to get him signed. But the details of the negotiation, we’ll keep private between us, out of respect for Simon and his group, and we can comment on all of that when it’s all said and done.”
During the 2025-26 season, Edvinsson averaged 22:21 over 72 games. He recorded nine goals and 16 assists on 88 shots.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Need a Defenseman Upgrade
According to NHLTradeRumors, the Maple Leafs are looking to move on from Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
The outlet wrote, “There’s been growing speculation around the league that Chayka has been making trade calls looking for a mobile defenceman in his prime, and has been offering veteran blueline Oliver Ekman-Larsson in a package that likely also includes 19-year-old prospect Tinus Luc Koblar.”
Right now, the Maple Leafs have Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, and Ekman-Larsson as their left-handed defenders. Adding Edvinsson to that mix would open up a world of possibilities for them.
It would give them another weapon on the powerplay, an area where Edvinsson has been underutilized with the Red Wings. Additionally, the Maple Leafs could then have three defense pairings that can handle a more even distribution of minutes.
One way or another, the Maple Leafs would come out of this deal miles ahead of the Red Wings. An Edvinsson acquisition could also open the door for Toronto to trade Rielly at the deadline for another forward upgrade, if the team needs it at that point.
Buckle up, Maple Leafs fans; the next week or so could get very interesting.
Maple Leafs Trade Pitch Ditches Ben Danford For Red Wings 6-Foot-6 Blueliner