The Toronto Maple Leafs will be active ahead of the NHL trade deadline on March 7.
The Maple Leafs are one of the top teams in the NHL and are expected to add a forward and a defenseman to the roster. NHL analyst Chris Geric of HockeyPatrol links Toronto to two-time Stanley Cup champion Vladimir Tarasenko from the Detroit Red Wings.
“A new report from Elliotte Friedman should have the wheels spinning for Brad Treliving and the Maple Leafs,” Geric wrote… “Toronto needs offense and while he’s struggling this season, a fresh start could be what kickstarts the latter part of his year. He would be able to fit throughout the lineup in the Top 9 and be able to chip in on the power play as well. Tarasenko also has familiarity with Craig Berube as he won his first Cup with the current Leafs head coach as a member of the Blues.”
Tarasenko is familiar with Berube and could add some offense to the middle six, which has been an issue in past playoff failures for the Maple Leafs.
However, a potential knock-on in acquiring Tarasenko is his contract. He’s in the first year of a two-year $9.5 million deal and has struggled with Detroit this season. Tarasenko has skated in 53 games recording 7 goals and 15 assists for 22 points.
Insider Says Red Wings Open to Trading Tarasenko
Detroit signed Tarasenko in the off-season to try and bolster its offense but he has struggled to fit in.
With that, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported on his Saturday Headlines on February 8 that Detroit is open to trading Tarasenko.
“This one is a little bit of a surprise. Vladimir Tarasenko in the first year of two in Detroit, and he’s got a no-trade clause this year,” Friedman said. “But, I’ve heard there’s been some noise around him. Red Wings have gotten much better, they’re in the race. A lot of the players have started to play better but it’s kind of struggled to be a fit… I’ve just heard that in his particular case, there’s been some conversation around him.”
Tarasenko won the Stanley Cup in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues and in 2024 with the Florida Panthers.
Maple Leafs GM Discusses Trade Deadline
Toronto is currently in second place in the Atlantic Division and will be active ahead of the trade deadline.
The Maple Leafs will look to improve their roster, but general manager Brad Treliving says he is trying to add good players to the roster.
“You want good players, right? If there’s one out there that fits, reliable on both sides of the puck, certainly somebody that can add offense, all those types of things,” Treliving said. “What you want and sometimes what’s available are two different things.”
However, Treliving says he won’t force any trades as he will be smart ahead of the March 7 trade deadline.
“Certainly we’ll continue to look to see what the marketplace, what’s available there and then ultimately what the cost is and see if there’s a fit,” Treliving said.
The Maple Leafs are 33-20-2.
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