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The Toronto Maple Leafs were relatively active in the free agent market landing a bonafide, top-pair defenseman in Chris Tanev, albeit overpaying for his services.
That said, Toronto didn’t do much to reshuffle their forward corps and in fact, the Maple Leafs lost winger Tyler Bertuzzi to the Chicago Blackhawks (amid tampering accusations).
In a group of trades submitted over PuckPedia’s PuckGM tool, a user proposed three moves that could reshape Toronto’s roster at both three strata: goal, defense, and offense.
Maple Leafs Get:
- Patrik Laine
- 2025 Blue Jackets 1st-Round Pick
- 2026 Blue Jackets 1st-Round Pick
- Shea Theodore
- 2027 Golden Knights 1st-Round Pick
- 2025 Golden Knights 2nd-Round Pick
- Yaroslav Askarov
- 2026 Predators 3rd-Round Pick
Blue Jackets Get:
- Mitch Marner
- 2026 Maple Leafs 3rd-Round Pick
Golden Knights Get:
Predators Get:
- Anthony Stolarz
- 2026 Maple Leafs 1st-Round Pick
Although there are only three trades listed above, the PuckPedia submissions include two extra moves that would also get Thomas Bordeleau and a Sharks 2025 2nd-round pick as well as Martin Fehervary.
If they completed this trade, the Maple Leafs could kill two birds with one stone as they would take care of Marner’s situation avoiding losing him for nothing while also sending the unsettled Liljegren out of town to avoid any further trouble.
On top of that, the Leasf would get a legitimate goalie with upside in Askarov, who is available for trade following the Predators’ long-term extension of No. 1 netminder Juuse Saros.
Just between the trio of Aaskarov (three-year, $2.78 million contract), Theodore (seven-year, $36.4 million contract), and Laine (four-year, $34.8 million contract), the Leasf would be getting $74 million worth of combined money judging by the current contracts of those three players.
Mitch Marner Linked to Vegas Golden Knights
Marner is the best trade asset available for trade in the Maple Leafs roster. He’s also entering the final year of his contract, making a trade even more enticing.
Whether or not a transaction involving the superstar winger ends up materializing is still unknown. The truth is, however, that Marner has been part of an endless amount of trade rumors as the Leafs wouldn’t like to lose him for nothing in 2025.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman already linked Marner to the Golden Knights on June 12 while citing the lack of offensive power and, most importantly, their abundance of players in the blueline having to deal some of them away.
“One of the things with Marner is that a lot of people suspect that Vegas will be around it,” Friedman said on “Leafs Morning Take.” “Because Vegas is just smart, they are around any good player. So I got people hypothesizing Shea Theodore and Logan Thompson deals to me, for example.”
Theodore is also entering the final season of his seven-year, $36 million contract. The salaries of Marner and Theodore, however, don’t quite align in a one-for-one trade so more players would need to be added to the trade packages.
In this trade scenario, the Golden Knights would have to do without landing Marner but would instead get Liljegren and McCabe. Marner, consequently, would be moved to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for disgruntled winger Patrik Laine.
Is a Patrik Laine for Mitch Marner Trade Feasible?
For starters, the Leafs and the Blue Jackets would need first and foremost to agree to a trade exchanging Marner for Laine. Once the packages are resolved and agreed to, however, both players would still need to approve the transaction.
Marner holds a full no-move clause in his contract and Laine also has a modified, 10-team no-trade clause included in his deal. Both could potentially block any trade flipping them.
Laine’s situation in Columbus, however, makes for an easier path for him to unlock a move wherever the Blue Jackets send him after requesting a trade earlier in the offseason.
Moreover, the NHL informed Columbus on Thursday, July 26 Laine can return to play. That follows a stint in the NHL/NHLPA players’ assistance program after he entered it in early 2024.
Laine has two years left on a contract with an $8.7 million salary cap hit. The winger signed that deal in the summer of 2022 with the Blue Jackets, one worth $34.8 million over four seasons.
Laine scored 64 goals and 74 assists in 174 games the Blue Jackets traded for him in January 2021. However, Laine has also missed 123 games due to various injuries and illnesses. Laine is coming off scoring 6 goals and assisting 3 in the 2023-24 regular season appearing in just 18 games.
Predators Listening to Trade Pitches for Askarov
Nashville signed their starting goaltender Saros to a huge eight-year, $61.92 million extension, per NHL.com, right at the start of free agency. The netminder, still 29 years old and now locked for eight more years and through his age-37 season, has virtually left fellow goalie Askarov out of the team for the upcoming season.
Predators general manager Barry Trotz confirmed the situation on June 29, as he revealed the franchise is actively looking for trade suitors for the young netminder.
“People are phoning on (Askarov). With us getting close to getting Saros done, obviously, the rumors start and you guys have something to write about,” Trotz said with a smile on Saturday. “But goaltending, you can’t have too much of.
“It’s always that slow burn with goalies, where you continue to refine your game and continue to grow your confidence as a goaltender.
“I have to listen to calls, and if there’s something that makes sense for us, then we’ll do it,” Trotz said. “But there’s no timeframe, no urgency on my part.”
Askarov has a contract running through the 2024-25 season with a cap hit of $925,000. The netminder appeared in two games during the 2023-24 season posting a 1-0-0 record and saving .943 of the shots he saw allowing 1.47 goals on average.
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