With the 4 Nations Face-Off now complete, the trade deadline looms large and is just a few weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 2024-25 campaign marks the ninth year in a row the Maple Leafs are vying for a Stanley Cup championship since their competitive window re-opened in 2016-17. Toronto is in the 58th year of their Stanley Cup drought and they’ll have as good an opportunity as any to break that this season. Although it’s still the most competitive division in the NHL, the Eastern Conference feels more open than in years past which should motivate the Maple Leafs to be aggressive at this year’s deadline.
Record
33-20-2, 2nd in the Atlantic Division
Deadline Status
Buyers
Deadline Cap Space
$2.201MM on deadline day + $3.570MM LTIR pool, 0/3 retention spots used, 48/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2025: FLA 2nd, EDM 3rd, TOR 5th, TOR 6th, TOR 7th
2026: TOR 1st, TOR 3rd, TOR 5th, SJ 6th
Trade Chips
This is where things get interesting for Toronto. The only draft pick worth meaningful value is their 2026 first-round pick but recent history may dissuade them from moving it. The Maple Leafs traded a boatload of first-round picks during the Kyle Dubas administration with only one Round Two appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Toronto was again engaged in some of the market’s top names last season but ultimately played around the edges. The Maple Leafs acquired Joel Edmundson, Ilya Lyubushkin, and Connor Dewar near last year’s deadline. The highest-valued asset general manager Brad Treliving parted with is a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick.
The Maple Leafs have legitimate forward prospects such as Fraser Minten, Easton Cowan, and Ben Danford with whom they could part ways to land an impact player. Although Treliving didn’t appear interested in moving big-name prospects in his first year at the helm of the Maple Leafs, he’s no stranger to big moves. During his time as general manager of the Calgary Flames, Treliving brought in the likes of Jonathan Huberdeau, Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, and Nikita Zadorov via trade. If Treliving warms to moving a first-round pick or top prospect, Toronto has the pieces to put themselves in a good spot for the deadline. 
Team Needs
1) Third-Line Center: Assuming Auston Matthews and John Tavares remain healthy the rest of the way, the Maple Leafs would have difficulty improving their top-six centers. Still, Max Domi’s 46.9% success rate in the faceoff dot hasn’t done much to inspire confidence in his abilities down the middle. Toronto could move Domi to the left wing alongside Tavares and William Nylander on the second if they acquire an above-average third-line center at the deadline. This strategy rests on what they’re willing to move. The Maple Leafs have plenty of options such as Ryan O’Reilly, Brock Nelson, Brayden Schenn, Jake Evans, and Scott Laughton but it’ll ultimately depend on how aggressive they’re willing to be.
2) Top-Four Right-Handed Defenseman: Potentially a more pressing need is Toronto’s lack of options on the right side of their defense in the top four. Chris Tanev has been exactly what they’ve needed him to be but the only right-handed options behind him are Conor Timmins and Philippe Myers. No offense to that duo but neither are expected to strike fear in opposing teams come postseason play. Again, the solution depends on the pieces the Maple Leafs put in play. Toronto should be involved in the markets for Colton Parayko, David Savard, or Rasmus Ristolainen, with any of the three being realistic additions.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.