The Toronto Maple Leafs have been one of the more active teams this offseason, but they may not be done.
Heavy.com proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs acquire Owen Power from the Buffalo Sabres in a blockbuster deal.
Maple Leafs acquire:
Sabres acquire:
- Brandon Carlo
- Ben Danford
- 2028 first-round pick
The proposed deal would be a blockbuster as Toronto would acquire a former first-overall pick to solidify the blue line for an NHL defenseman, a top prospect, and a first-round pick.
The Maple Leafs would add Power, who was selected first overall in 2021. He’s entering the second year of his seven-year, $58.45 million deal with the Sabres. At age 22, Power can be a staple of the Maple Leafs’ blue line for years to come. Meanwhile, he’d add some much-needed offense to the blue line and can also help run the power play. Power recorded 7 goals and 33 assists for 40 points in 79 games last season.
In return, the Maple Leafs would give up their 2028 first-round pick, which is the next first-round pick the Maple Leafs have available. Toronto would also trade Carlo, whose name has come up in trade rumors, and he would replace Power on the Sabres. Carlo has two years left on his six-year, $24.6 million deal. He recorded 1 goal and 11 assists for 12 points in 83 games last season between the Maple Leafs and Bruins.
The final piece would be Danford, who Toronto selected in the first round in 2024. He will be back in the OHL next season and is a shutdown defenseman who plays physically.
Maple Leafs Open to Moving Carlo
Toronto made a big move to acquire Carlo at the trade deadline last year, but he could already be flipped.
The Maple Leafs have a deep blue line, and he would be expendable with the acquisition of Power. NHL insider Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet named Carlo as a trade candidate this offseason.
“Carlo was a welcome addition to the Leafs’ defence corps, averaging 19:13 of ice time per game and nearly two minutes on the PK. In the playoffs, he was among the team’s shot-blocking leaders,” Kypreos wrote. “It may be hard to believe the Leafs would trade away Carlo so soon after paying a steep price to acquire him.
“But the fact is Toronto doesn’t have many assets to make a deal with,” Kypreos added. “Right-shot, minute-munching defensemen will always have a market in the NHL and so Carlo is the one trade chip that could command a lot of attention. He could be part of a deal that adds some scoring to the forward group as they recover from the loss of Mitch Marner.”
Carlo would be highly sought after as he’s a big, physical defensive defenseman, which would help the Sabres’ blue line. He’d make Buffalo a harder team to play against, which is the goal.
Maple Leafs Have Deep Blue Line
Toronto has one of the best defensive units in the NHL, but could further bolster it.
The Maple Leafs have seven NHL defensemen under contract for next season. The blue line is led by the likes of Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, and Jake McCabe, among others.
Toronto’s blue line is also big and physical, which general manager Brad Treliving is a fan of.
“In today’s game, I like the length of our defense, I like the makeup of our defense. We’ve still got to be able to get out of our own end,” Treliving said. “There are things we can do in terms of closing quicker and taking away space… We need to get more offense from our defense. But in terms of personnel, we’ll see. I like the D-corps, but we can’t be rigid.”
The Maple Leafs have Rielly, Tanev, McCabe, Carlo, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Simon Benoit, and Philippe Myers under contract next season.
Maple Leafs Add Former 1st Overall Pick in Blockbuster Trade Pitch