The Toronto Maple Leafs are viewed as being one of the top teams in the NHL this season. So far, they have been living up to expectations in this short season, as they have won their first two games. Due to this, they will likely be active buyers at the 2024 Trade Deadline and make changes to their group in the process. However, these Maple Leafs players will, without a doubt, not be traded during the season.
William Nylander & The Rest of the Core Four
Although William Nylander has generated trade buzz because of his expiring contract, it would be shocking if he is dealt during the season. The Maple Leafs are in win-now mode, and having a star like Nylander on their roster gives them a great chance of doing just that. With that, the skilled winger has also made it known that he wishes to sign an extension, while general manager (GM) Brad Treliving noted that a new deal is “next on the list.”
Due to this, we should expect Nylander to stay put for at least the remainder of the campaign. With that, the rest of the Core Four will surely be sticking with the club for the whole season. Auston Matthews recently signed his monstrous extension, while Mitch Marner and John Tavares are immensely important pieces to their group. With that, they have full-no movement (NMC) clauses.
Morgan Rielly
Love him or hate him, it would be quite surprising to see the Maple Leafs part ways with Morgan Rielly during this season. The Vancouver native is the club’s number-one defenceman and an integral part of their group. With team defence being a concern for the Maple Leafs right now, trading their top defenceman would not make much sense.
With that, Rielly carries a full NMC, so he is surely going to be sticking around both now and for the long-term future. This is certainly good news, as Rielly is a star when playing at his highest level and is off to a great start in 2023-24. In two games, he has three assists and a plus-4 rating. Perhaps this is a sign that a bounce-back season could be in order for the 29-year-old.
Joseph Woll
Joseph Woll is another Maple Leaf who is likely to stay put this season. The 25-year-old goalie raised his value up quite a bit last season after performing well for the Maple Leafs in both the regular season and playoffs. In seven regular-season appearances, he had a 6-1-0 record, a 2.16 goals-against average (GAA), and a .932 save percentage (SV%). He then followed that up by posting a 2.43 GAA and a .915 SV% in four playoff games.
Related: 3 Maple Leafs Trade Candidates Heading Into 2023-24
Due to all of this, it would be surprising to see the Maple Leafs move on from Woll this season. He displayed that he has the potential to become an NHL starting netminder, and the Maple Leafs are expecting him to take another step forward in 2023-24.
Matthew Knies
With the Maple Leafs likely to be big-time buyers this season, it would not be surprising to see them part ways with at least one notable prospect to land a high-impact player for their playoff run. However, it will surely not be Matthew Knies, as the Maple Leafs’ top prospect has all the tools to emerge into a top-six power forward at the NHL level. The Maple Leafs need a skilled player with size and physicality, and that is exactly what Knies is.
Knies is off to a bit of a quiet start with the Maple Leafs this season, as he has zero points in two games. However, when looking at his contributions during the postseason (one goal and four points in seven games), he should heat up quickly. His potential is far too high for the Maple Leafs to even consider trading him, so expect him to stick with the team for many years to come.
Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi are two other players who have a good chance of lasting with the Maple Leafs for the full season. Ilya Samsonov is another candidate to stay put, but the Maple Leafs could also look for an upgrade in net if he struggles to replicate last season’s form.
Alas, we will need to wait and see what kind of moves the Maple Leafs make this season, but don’t expect to see the main players highlighted in this piece traded in 2023-24.
