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Anaheim Ducks forward Frank Vatrano has been rumored in trade talks and one trade pitch has him being sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Vatrano is entering the final year of his three-year $10.95 million deal and was rumored to be in trade discussions at the deadline. However, no deal was made but the website PuckPedia has a new tool called PuckGM that lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs acquire the All-Star forward.
Maple Leafs get:
- Frank Vatrano ($1.8 million retained)
Ducks get:
The proposed deal sees the Maple Leafs bolster their offense by acquiring Vatrano who was an All-Star last season. Toronto, meanwhile, would send Nick Robertson and David Kampf to Anaheim to make the money work.
Vatrano would be a middle-six forward for the Maple Leafs and add some more scoring to the middle of the lineup. Last season, he recorded 37 goals and 23 assists for 60 points in 82 games.
The Ducks, meanwhile, would get Robertson who has requested a trade from the Maple Leafs. Robertson is from California so it would be a chance to play at a home while Anaheim would get younger in the deal.
Kampf, meanwhile, is entering the second year of his $9.6 million deal and could project as the fourth-line center for Anaheim. Last season, Kampf recorded 8 goals and 11 assists for 19 points in 78 games.
Vatrano on Trade Block
Vatrano was on the trade block at the 2024 NHL trade deadline and was close to being traded to the New York Rangers.
ESPN’s hockey insider Emily Kaplan reported that the Ducks were in talks to deal Vatrano to the Rangers, but it fell through.
“I’ve heard the Ducks offered the Rangers a package deal a few weeks ago that included Henrique and Vatrano for Kakko and a first-round pick. The Rangers clearly thought that was too rich for their liking,” Kaplan wrote in her article.
Vatrano’s name has continued to come up in trade rumors throughout the summer and will be a popular trade target at the 2025 NHL trade deadline if he isn’t dealt by then.
Maple Leafs Name Auston Matthews Captain
The Maple Leafs made a change to their leadership group on August 14 as Toronto named Auston Matthews captain.
John Tavares decided to remove himself as captain to allow Matthews to be named captain as he felt the time was right.
“I just wanted to let him know what I thought about him and that I thought the time was now for him to take charge and be the captain and be the leader of our club and how ready he was for it,” Tavares said at the press conference on August 14. “He’s got my full support to continue what when I came here six years ago to do and wanting to bring the Stanley Cup back here to Toronto and finding a way to do that.”
Matthews has been with the Maple Leafs since he was drafted first overall in the 2016 NHL draft. He says being named captain is an honor and said he wants to be a Maple Leaf for life.
“I got chills, honestly,” Matthews said. “I’m so honored and humbled since being drafted here eight years ago. You realize how special it is to play for the city of Toronto, to wear the Maple Leaf on your chest every single night. It just means the world to do that. To have the support from Johnny, my teammates, our staff, ownership, my family, it just means the world to me. I look forward to continuing our journey to obviously get to the top of the mountain and win the Stanley Cup and bring it back to Toronto.”
The Maple Leafs will open its 2024-25 NHL season on the road on October 9 against the Montreal Canadiens.