The NHL Trade Deadline is less than two days away, and teams have been busy around the league. There have been a number of trades that have made teams much better, which poses a problem for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yes, they have been on a hot streak since the 4-Nations Face-Off, but their management group, led by GM Brad Treliving, will need to look for ways to improve the roster to go on a long playoff run.
Related: 3 Bottom-Six Forwards the Maple Leafs Should Target at the Trade Deadline
Yesterday, I looked at three depth forward options for them to trade for. Today, let’s look at both Vincent Desharnais and Luke Schenn, who were recently traded. The Maple Leafs should inquire to see if the teams that acquired them are looking to flip them again.
Vincent Desharnais – San Jose Sharks
Although Desharnais isn’t the most recognizable name around the NHL, he can be a serviceable defender. After a great start to his career with the Edmonton Oilers that included a run to the Stanley Cup Final, he has struggled to find a home in the NHL. He signed a two-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks, and it didn’t go well. He was traded as part of the Marcus Pettersson deal to the Pittsburgh Penguins and, yesterday, was dealt again to the San Jose Sharks. If the Sharks are thinking about flipping him, the Maple Leafs should inquire. He is a big-bodied, right-handed defenseman who can use his physical style of play in the playoffs when the game becomes more physical.
Related: 2025 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
Depending on the asking price, the Maple Leafs should look into bringing him in as another option on the blue line. In years past, defensemen who play a similar style to Desharnais have tended to work well with Morgan Rielly. Based on the Sharks only paying a fifth-round pick for him, the assumption would be that if he were to be made available again, they may want a fourth-round pick, but it wouldn’t be much more than what they paid.
Luke Schenn – Pittsburgh Penguins
Next, the player that almost everyone in Leafs Nation would love to have back. Schenn, for the third time in his career, is exactly what the Maple Leafs need. As I mentioned above, players similar to Desharnais pair well with Rielly historically. That said, no one aside from Ron Hainsey has paired better with Rielly than Schenn did during their time together in 2023. It may be unlikely, but if Penguins GM Kyle Dubas wants to make a trade with his former team, Schenn would be the player of interest. Now, given that he is signed for next season, the Penguins may opt to keep him and see how things play out. However, if they decide to flip him and the Maple Leafs are interested, look for Dubas to ask for Topi Niemelä as part of the trade going back to Pittsburgh.
He is a Dubas-drafted player, and recent reports suggested he was heading to Sweden due to frustration with his development. That was proven not to be the case, but the fact remains that he is staying in the Maple Leafs’ organization. However, there have been no reports disputing his frustration with his development or lack thereof. Since the Penguins are heading into a rebuild, Niemelä could be a key piece in prying Schenn out of Pittsburgh.
There are other names available on the trade block, but the asking price and cap hits could be too much for the Maple Leafs. Players like David Savard of the Montreal Canadiens and Connor Murphy of the Chicago Blackhawks would fit well on the blue line. However, as mentioned, whether it be the asking price or their cap hits, it would be a bit too difficult for Toronto to make work. Instead, they should look at the three players listed above as options to help improve the back end.
