Maple Leafs Headed Toward a “Big-Dog” Core-Shaking Trade

If you believe Frank Corrado of TSN, the Toronto Maple Leafs are headed toward a trade that would see them trade one of their “big dogs” for a group of younger players. Noting that the group is aging quickly and that the combination isn’t working, if the Leafs can’t turn things around immediately, it’s time to rethink how the roster is built.

This feels like a conversation that’s been had before. Building around the “Core Four” was often questioned, especially when the team fell apart in consecutive playoff series. It took a long time, but Mitch Marner was eventually moved, and the results have been underwhelming.

Now, the question of a total roster overhaul feels real, with Marc Savard recently fired and reports that Craig Berube and Brad Treliving are safe, but who knows for how long.

When Do the Maple Leafs Need to Reimagine This Roster?

According to Corrodo, the meteor is coming, and it’s headed straight for this Maple Leafs roster. Everything they’ve tried hasn’t worked, and sooner or later, the inevitable is unavoidable.

He explained:

“It’s probably closer than we all think that another big move is going to have to happen — something’s going to have to give here. I’m not saying this happens today or tomorrow, but it feels closer than we might expect. They’re going to have to find a way to parlay one of their big dogs into younger players.”

He added, “This team feels like it’s aging quickly, and it was already an older group to begin with. I’ve talked about that ‘meteor’ moment before, and it feels like it’s coming fast. If you don’t do something, does it come even quicker? And then where are you left, trying to pick up the pieces?”

The Maple Leafs Have Tried Everything Else

It feels like the organization has turned over every rock and explored every possible solution — except one: changing out the team’s superstars and leadership.

Corrado added:

“I don’t know, but it feels like you can try throwing something else at this to see if it works — and it’s not going to. At that point, you’re forced into a much bigger, organization-wide decision, and that decision would be centered around your star players.”

On Monday, Sportsnet insider Nick Kypreos discussed the idea of trading Auston Matthews and what kind of impact that would have on the team. Looking at the Quinn Hughes trade as somewhat of a comparable, he suggested a team like the Los Angeles Kings might be a fit.

Kypreos said:

“I do believe that this is not something that can happen during this season, this is a summer decision… I think that there are places out there, and I don’t know if you want to hold me to this, but Auston Matthews to the LA Kings is the play. That’s the move. They’ve got [Anze] Kopitar leaving, and they need somebody, and they kind of held out for the watch on [Connor] McDavid. And I think if McDavid was LA Kings’ choice in a couple of years or as early as next year to trade for him, possibly then Auston would fall right underneath that.”

There’s also the back-and-forth relationship between Berube and William Nylander that catches a lot of attention in Toronto. Would he be open to moving, and what could the Leafs get back if they tested the market on a trade?

In both cases, getting three significant, younger pieces back seems like something that could, in theory, happen. It’s the kind of trade Corrado appears to be hinting at.