The Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks have a lot more in common than being Canadian NHL franchises.
Both teams are going through rough patches this year, with plenty of questions surrounding both clubs. While the Canucks have embraced a rebuild, the Maple Leafs have yet to do so.
But that doesn’t mean they can’t or they won’t.
There’s also something else that the Canucks and Leafs have in common. They have potentially problematic contracts that seem virtually impossible to trade. Nevertheless, if the two clubs get a little creative, they could work something out.
In particular, a trade between Toronto and Vancouver could solve plenty of issues for both teams. This trade involves Elias Pettersson going one way and Morgan Rielly going the other.
Here’s what this trade could look like:
Maple Leafs get:
Elias Pettersson, F
2027 second-round pick
Canucks get:
Morgan Rielly, D
2027 fourth-round pick
No salary retention involved on either side.
The spirit behind this trade is both clubs ridding themselves of seemingly untradable contracts. The Canucks have Pettersson’s contract, one that seems to much for other teams to take on. By moving Pettersson to the Maple Leafs, particularly without retention, the Canucks get out from under that contract for the next six seasons.
Meanwhile, jettisoning Morgan Rielly allows the Maple Leafs to clear his contract off the books. Most importantly, it allows the team to move on from a player who’s caught significant flak over the years.
In short, both players get fresh starts elsewhere. This potential situation could give the Maple Leafs and the Canucks an opportunity to push the reset button on two onerous contracts.
Why Pettersson to Maple Leafs Makes Sense
Pettersson is a former 100-point scorer who’s never really rekindled that scoring touch since. He has been the subject of abundant trade speculation. However, his $11.6 million cap hit has been the biggest obstacle.
While it’s not chump change for the Maple Leafs to take on, it’s something they can manage by shedding Rielly’s $7.5 million cap hit. That’s why a second-round pick would be a sweetener for Toronto as a sign of appreciation for the favor.
Adding Pettersson would allow the Leafs to prepare for a post-Auston Matthews era, if it ever comes to that.
Even if Matthews stays, Pettersson could land in the 2C spot, allowing the club to move John Tavares further down the trough.
There’s one other reason. There’s a solid relationship between Pettersson and William Nylander. Both are Swedish and most recently played together at the 2026 Olympics. A Pettersson-Nylander duo could be just the thing to rekindle both players’ scoring.
Rielly Makes Sense for Canucks, Too
Rielly, a Vancouver native, makes sense for the Canucks, too. He could use a fresh start after years of punishment in Toronto. In Vancouver, the former Maple Leafs’ first-round draft pick from the 2012 NHL Draft can find less pressure.
While Vancouver isn’t exactly the friendliest market to play in, he would, at least, get away from all the chatter he’s endured in Toronto for nearly 1,000 games.
Rielly has four more years remaining on his contract. So, it wouldn’t be as constrictive as Pettersson’s. If such a deal should ever materialize, it would be a major win for the Canucks.
Maple Leafs-Canucks Trade Idea Could Solve Several Issues