The Toronto Maple Leafs’ painful trade history with the Boston Bruins has apparently reached the point where a prominent Toronto radio host wants ownership to step in.
TSN 1050 “OverDrive” host Bryan Hayes argued that the Maple Leafs should essentially be prohibited from making another deal with their Atlantic Division rival after watching Fraser Minten’s breakout continue in Boston.
Hayes made the plea during the Oct. 14 edition of “OverDrive,” with Minten’s success reopening old wounds involving some infamous transactions between the franchises.
“I’m telling you, this ownership, they should make it a mandate,” Hayes said. “You cannot make a trade with the Boston Bruins anymore.”
Hayes’ frustration comes as Minten, 22, has opened the 2026-27 season with four goals and seven points through seven games for Boston, per Boston.com.
The former Maple Leafs prospect is providing quite the reminder of the price Toronto paid for defenseman Brandon Carlo less than two years ago.
Minten Trade Continues to Haunt Maple Leafs
Toronto acquired Carlo from Boston at the 2025 trade deadline for Minten, a conditional first-round draft pick and a 2025 fourth-round selection. The Bruins also retained 15% of Carlo’s salary, via the Bruins’ announcement of the deal.
Carlo’s stay in Toronto proved short.
The Maple Leafs traded him to the St. Louis Blues in June 2026 for the Nos. 73 and 76 selections in that year’s draft. That left Minten in Boston and a future first-round selection from the original deal still owed.
Heavy’s Billy Heyen noted on Sept. 30 that the trade was looking increasingly tough for Toronto as Minten developed into an decisive piece for the Bruins.
His latest start has done little to improve the mood north of the border.
Former NHL goaltender Jamie McLennan said on “OverDrive” that it was “tough to watch” Minten flourish, as former Maple Leafs forward Jeff O’Neill joked that he had to turn off the television.
Hayes took the criticism further, mentioning a history between the two organizations that goes far past Minten.
He labeled three Boston-Toronto transactions — the Minten, Tuukka Rask and Phil Kessel deals — “three of the worst deals in franchise history.”
Bruins Have History of Winning Maple Leafs Trades
The Rask trade is perhaps the most glaring example.
Toronto selected Rask in the first round of the 2005 NHL draft before sending him to Boston in June 2006 for goaltender Andrew Raycroft.
Rask never played an NHL game for Toronto.
Instead, he spent his entire NHL career with the Bruins, retiring as the franchise leader in wins and games played by a goaltender. He also won the Vezina Trophy and was part of Boston’s 2011 Stanley Cup championship team.
Then came Kessel.
Boston traded Phil Kessel to Toronto in September 2009 for three draft selections. Those picks became Tyler Seguin, Jared Knight and Dougie Hamilton. Seguin helped Boston win the Stanley Cup in 2011, and Hamilton developed into one of the NHL’s top defensemen.
Currently, Minten is giving Toronto ammo to revisit that history.
The latest deal is unfinished because Boston is owed a future first-round selection. Heavy wrote after the 2026 draft lottery that the Bruins’ pick is expected to convey as an unprotected 2028 first-rounder following Toronto winning the lottery and retaining the No. 1 selection.
There’s time before the ultimate verdict on that trade can be passed down.
But with Minten producing for Boston right off the bat, Hayes has seen enough.
Maple Leafs Hit With Bruins Trade Plea After ‘Embarrassing’ History