The Toronto Maple Leafs have their sights set on one goal: the Stanley Cup. “Defense wins championships” is an NHL mantra for a reason. Having an eye-opening talent like Erik Karlsson can give a team the offensive boost it needs. Conversely, a staunch defensive brick wall also comes in handy during the postseason.
Heavy proposed a trade idea that would see the Maple Leafs add a great two-way talent from the Utah Mammoth in Mikhail Sergachev.
Maple Leafs Acquire:
- Mikhail Sergachev ($8.5 million)
Mammoth Acquire:
- Morgan Rielly ($7.5 million)
- Easton Cowan ($873,500)
This would be a massive deal for both organizations. The Maple Leafs get a significant upgrade on their blueline with the addition of Sergachev, who becomes their new number one defender. The Mammoth walk away with a top-four defenseman and a prospect on an entry-level contract that is NHL-ready. In this proposal, the Mammoth retain two million on Sergachev’s contract for the 2025-26 season.
In this proposal, the Maple Leafs land Sergachev, 27, a left-handed defender who was initially drafted ninth overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2016. The 6-foot-3, 212 lb defender won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning before being traded to the Mammoth. Last year, he recorded 53 points in 77 games, while averaging 25:07 in ice time per game.
On the other side, the Mammoth acquire Morgan Rielly. The Maple Leafs’ fifth overall selection in 2012, Rielly, 33, is an offensive-minded defender who can give the Mammoth more firepower on their blueline. The 6-foot-1, 225 lb left-handed defenseman recorded 41 points in 82 games this past season.
The Mammoth also adds Easton Cowan, 20, in this proposal. The 6-foot, 185 lb forward recorded 69 points in 46 OHL games playing for the London Knights.
Maple Leafs Rumored to Have Interest in Mikhail Sergachev
Between the Posts host, Howard Berger reported over the weekend that the Maple Leafs have had discussions involving the minute-munching Sergachev.
“The Leafs have talked to Utah about defenceman Mikhail Sergachev,” Berger reported via a social media post on X. “Creative cap work would be required by Toronto with only $1.9 million in current space.
The Maple Leafs having interest in Sergachev would make sense. According to GM Brad Treliving’s comments at the end-of-season-availabilities in May, he wanted to change how the team was constructed.
“There’s some DNA that has to change in our team,” Treliving said. “In today’s game you need to be active. We need to get more offense from our defense. I like the D-corps, but we can’t be rigid.”
Maple Leafs Need the Money to Make Sense
While it’s a luxurious thought for the Maple Leafs to have a strong defender like Sergachev on the backend, the money needs to work. There are two ways to make that happen.
The first, is a separate trade where the Maple Leafs offload a contract for a draft pick, freeing up cap space that way. Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf have been named the most likely to go to a new team this offseason, so it’s likely that is where the cap relief would come from.
The other option, is for the Mammoth to retain some salary on Sergachev. In this proposal, Heavy suggested the latter. If they only retain for one season, they might be able to not add another asset to this proposal. But if they do, adding a fourth or fifth round pick from 2026 or 2027 should work.
Should the Mammoth retain $2 million on Sergachev, this deal will free up $1,873,500. In total, that will give them $3,793,222. That just might be enough left to sign Jack Roslovic, the final piece for their 2025-26 roster puzzle.
Maple Leafs Change Their DNA Now With Big Trade Pitch