Trade Pitch Has Maple Leafs Acquiring Yanni Gourde

The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the top teams in the NHL and a trade pitch has them acquiring a multiple-time Stanley Cup champion.

The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs acquire Yanni Gourde from the Seattle Kraken.

Maple Leafs acquire:

Yanni Gourde ($1.5 million retained)

Kraken acquire:

The proposed deal would see the Maple Leafs acquire Gourde from Seattle for two NHL players.

Gourde is in the final year of his six-year $31 million deal with the Kraken. Gourde could be Toronto’s third-line center and be a part of a shutdown line for the Maple Leafs. The centerman was a key member of the Tampa Bay Lightning team that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021. In his NHL career, Gourde has skated in 548 games recording 126 goals and 191 assists for 317 points.

In return, the Maple Leafs would deal veteran forward Kampf, who would replace Gourde in Seattle. Kampf is in the second year of his four-year $9.6 million deal. The forward is Toronto’s fourth-line center and plays a key defensive role.

Liljegren would be the player in the deal as the former first-round pick is just 25 but a change of scenery is needed. The Swede signed a two-year $6 million extension with Toronto this offseason but he has been a healthy scratch to begin the year.

Liljegren Could Make Season Debut

The Maple Leafs have healthy scratched Liljgeren in each of the first three games, but the 25-year-old could make his season debut on October 16.

Liljegren was having an increased role in practice as he says he looks on playing a simpler game.

“It’s more like playing an easier, simpler game,” Liljegren said. “I think that’s it. Play hard and simple.”

Although Liljegren could make his season debut on Wednesday, the Swede’s name has been involved in trade rumors. With that, Liljgeren says he’s been avoiding thinking about it and staying off of social media.

“I try not to think about it much, I’m not on social media.” Liljegren said. “If something happens, it does. I had some tough times here last year, too, and I got through it. I’m sure it will be no different this time. I love Toronto, came over here when I was 18 (to be part of a Marlies’ Calder Cup club), love the city, love the team.”

Liljegren was selected 17th overall in the 2017 NHL draft by the Maple Leafs.

Maple Leafs Allow Liljegren To Speak To Other Teams

With Liljegren not being an everyday player in the NHL, Toronto has allowed defenseman the former first-round to speak to other teams about a potential deal.

“Toronto is preaching patience with this. They are simply saying there is no reason he can’t still play for us,” Friedman said on Hockey Night in Canada. “However, he’s a 25-year-old player, he wants to play. I think he’d like to be in a position where he can play.

“Now, I had heard this week that he had some permission to talk to other teams but the Maple Leafs have denied that, they’ve said that’s not true,” Friedman added. “But there’s no question they’re trying to get him to be patient and he’s simply trying to say, ‘Look, I’d like to play’ as any player would.”

Liljegren has skated in 196 games recording 14 goals and 51 assists for 65 points in his NHL career.

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