The ongoing trend regarding Toronto Maple Leafs rumors is the purported sell-off to happen at the NHL trade deadline. Prevailing wisdom suggests that the Leafs will try to move any player they can.
While the trade deadline isn’t supposed to be a fire sale, the purpose is to shake up the core. The latest round of chatter posits that Morgan Rielly could be heading out. Truthfully, the rumor mill takes turns with Leafs players.
Earlier in the season, William Nylander had been the subject of Maple Leafs rumors. Then, Auston Matthews got his turn. Now, Rielly is the trade target du jour. But there’s reason to believe that none of this will come close to happening.
According to insider David Pagnotta, there’s a fat chance the shake-up will come close to speculation. In a conversation with Jeff Marek, Pagnotta agreed that the Maple Leafs will not undergo the deep sell-off intended to wake up the current club.
“How deep do you think this can go, given that I have a hard time believing that the parent company wants a teardown too much here?” Marek asked.
“I agree with you on that one, I don’t anticipate that being the case,” Pagnotta replied.
The February 13 conversation on The Sheet points toward another trade deadline in which GM Brad Treliving will try to put a band-aid on a much bigger issue befalling the Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs Rumors May Fall Woefully Short
With few assets to trade and several untradeable contracts, the Leafs could be on a trajectory for a quiet NHL trade deadline.
Of course, the club will make a few moves. Treliving has a propensity to make reactionary moves. The Brandon Carlo and Scott Laughton trades are examples of that. But the deals in the pipeline this deadline won’t come close to the ones circling in Maple Leafs rumors.
In addition to the lack of assets, the market is bereft of supply. A handful of names are making the rounds. Since the supply is short, the asking prices for such players should go through the roof. As a result, the Maple Leafs won’t have much room to maneuver.
Toronto Will Focus on Addition by Subtraction
The Maple Leafs have a handful of untouchables. Beyond those players, the club will likely seek to add by subtracting. In other words, they’ll move out players only if it brings back pieces the team can use.
The purpose is not a full teardown and rebuild. The point is to retool on the fly with pieces that can plug in as replacements for those departed.
For instance, some Maple Leafs rumors posit that Laughton could be on the block. If that’s the case, the Leafs will want to get a player back who could take up the fourth-line center role. That might be a younger player, or perhaps an expendable piece that no longer fits.
Fans can forget about the Leafs dealing away veterans for prospects and picks. While that might be the most sensible move, it’s not going to happen. The Maple Leafs organization doesn’t want to risk years of playoff misses.
The organization would rather have the Leafs be a zombie club than risk missing the playoffs several years in a row.
Maple Leafs Rumors: Fat Chance on Shake-Up, Insider