3 Potential Trade Targets for the Maple Leafs on the Penguins

The Toronto Maple Leafs have gotten out to a decent start, and while they have had strong starts from most of their star players, they still have some holes to fill if they want a real chance of pushing for their first Stanley Cup since 1967.

In a recent segment of Saturday Headlines, Elliotte Friedman revealed that the Pittsburgh Penguins could be willing to trade some of their veteran players to make room for their young, up-and-coming players.

Friedman said, “The other team that is interested in opening up spots for youth is Pittsburgh.” He continued, “Pittsburgh has made it clear that they would move a veteran forward for draft picks or prospects to give their younger players more opportunity as they continue to transition to a younger roster.”

It seems as though the Penguins are, finally, preparing to shift towards a rebuild.

In this article, we will take a quick look at three targets from the Penguins that the Maple Leafs could target if they look to bolster their lineup this season.

Rickard Rakell

One forward, who has been involved in trade rumours for several seasons, is Rickard Rakell. He is extended through the 2027-28 season with a $5,000,000 cap hit. This season, he has scored one goal and added three assists for four points.

Throughout his career, he has scored 261 goals and added 310 assists for 571 points through 873 games.

Adding Rakell would immediately bolster their middle-six forward group, and add some much-needed depth. Of course, they would have to clear some cap space, since they only have $2,387,500 available, according to PuckPedia.

They could try and dump someone like Teddy Blueger elsewhere to make a deal work, but they would have to move a prospect and a first-round pick to the Penguins as well.

Bryan Rust

Bryan Rust is another forward the Maple Leafs could add, and like Rakell, he has been involved in trade rumours for several seasons.

Rust has a similar contract, sitting at a $5,125,000 cap hit through the 2027-28 season. This season, he has scored three goals and added two assists for five points through seven games. Throughout his career, he has scored 235 goals and added 272 assists for 507 points through 717 games.

Like Rakell, Rust would be a solid two-way addition for their middle-six forward group. He can play on both wings, and having someone like that who can play anywhere in their lineup would be beneficial.

I would assume a trade return looks similar to what the Penguins could receive for Rakell, which would be a draft pick and a prospect.

Kris Letang

The Maple Leafs could be on the look to add some defensive depth, and Kris Letang could be someone they consider targeting. He has struggled defensively and has definitely regressed, but for the right price, he could be someone that adds a much-needed veteran presence on their blue line.

He would have to be a bottom-pairing defender that is sheltered, but his playoff experience would be valuable to the Maple Leafs, considering they have struggled to make a deep run since they made the Conference Final in the 2001-02 season.

This season, Letang has five assists through 11 games. Throughout his career, he has scored 178 goals and added 633 assists for 811 points through 1246 games.

Letang’s $6.1 million cap hit could make things a little tough, but if the Penguins are willing to retain, a deal could be made. Just like Rust and Rakell, Letang would likely bring back a draft pick and a prospect.

Letang has a no-movement clause and a modified no-trade clause, Rakell has a modified no-trade clause, and Rust doesn’t have any trade protection. Obviously, for any deal to work for Letang and Rakell, they would have to be willing to accept a deal to the Maple Leafs.

We’ll see if the Maple Leafs end up trying to make a move any time soon, but according to Friedman, it seems as though the Penguins are more open than ever to trading some of the veterans.

No, that doesn’t mean that Sidney Crosby is available.

As the 2026-27 season moves along, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from around the NHL and the hockey world.