The Toronto Maple Leafs are being linked with a shock trade for a future Hall of Fame player. New general manager John Chayka has already had a busy first few months on the job. The exec got off to a hot start by landing prized unrestricted free agent Darren Raddysh in an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million AAV).
Toronto then followed up by bringing in Sergei Bobrovsky, Jack Roslovic, Nick Paul, and Teddy Blueger. Along with drafting Gavin McKenna, the Maple Leafs essentially revamped over one-third of their starting lineup. Despite this overhaul, Chayka and Co. will continue to look at other potential trades.
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Chayka could land Pittsburgh Penguins star defenseman Erik Karlsson this season. Speaking on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman reports that a source predicted that the Toronto Maple Leafs will ultimately acquire the veteran. Friedman also claimed that Karlsson nearly joined Toronto when Penguins GM Kyle Dubas was in charge.
“What’s interesting about that is that, you know, Kyle Dubas has never really told the full story as far as I know,” stated Friedman. “But when he was GM of the Leafs, he tried to trade for Karlsson at one point. And he obviously did it in Pittsburgh, but he’s always liked him. Karlsson, it should be pointed out, had a great year last year. This is the last year of his contract, so we’ll see how everybody feels.”
Erik Karlsson Would Boost the Toronto Maple Leafs Blue Line
GettyErik Karlsson has received Norris Trophy votes in two of the last four years.
While Friedman links the Toronto Maple Leafs to Karlsson, a potential trade hinges on how Pittsburgh fares in the upcoming campaign. If the Penguins are looking like a playoff team again, the veteran most likely remains in the Steel City. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe essentially echoed this sentiment in his latest article. According to the beat writer, the blueliner will likely be dealt by Dubas if the Penguins decline this season.
Karlsson, 36, is coming off an impressive campaign in Pittsburgh. After taking a step backwards during his first two seasons with the club, the defenseman posted 66 points in 75 regular-season games in 2025-26. He also added three points in six playoff games for the Penguins. Not only did the future Hall of Famer provide extra offense from the blue line, but he also averaged over 28 minutes per game during the postseason.
The Toronto Maple Leafs did not exactly get a ton of points from defensemen last year. In fact, the club had just two blueliners eclipse 25 points on the campaign. Raddysh was brought in to specifically help the team in this area. Nevertheless, adding Karlsson to the mix would give Toronto an extra boost.
Toronto Cannot Afford Karlsson’s Contract Right Now
Chayka and the Toronto Maple Leafs would, however, have to get creative to afford Karlsson’s current contract. The defenseman is set to enter the final season in his eight-year, $92 million contract ($11.5 million AAV). Although the San Jose Sharks retained $1.5 million of this salary, Toronto does not have much financial freedom at the moment.
According to PuckPedia.com, the Maple Leafs are actually over the salary cap right now. Chayka could look to shed Morgan Rielly’s $7.5 million AAV contract to help free up some extra funds. Rielly has been linked with a move away from Toronto all summer, but remains on the roster for now.
Maple Leafs Predicted to Trade for $92 Million Star Defenseman