The Toronto Maple Leafs nearly pulled off a blockbuster trade ahead of the 2025 deadline. Toronto was edging towards an Atlantic Division title a year ago and wanted to strengthen ahead of the playoffs. According to NHL insiders Elliotte Friedman and Nick Kypreos, the Maple Leafs nearly acquired star center Brayden Schenn from the St. Louis Blues at the time.
Although the deal obviously fell through, details on why it failed have emerged. Friedman discussed the situation on his most recent 32 Thoughts podcast. In the talk with co-host Kyle Bukauskas, the insider confirmed a story previously published by Kypreos that Toronto was willing to center the deal around top prospect Easton Cowan.
“One thing that I absolutely believe is true is that the Blues told the Maple Leafs, ‘If you want Schenn, it’s going to be Cowan, [Ben] Danford, and something else,’ possibly a pick,” stated Friedman.
The insider then revealed the interesting reason for the failed trade. “I heard Schenn wasn’t going to waive [his no-trade clause] to Toronto unless the Maple Leafs also got Luke [Schenn]… If the Maple Leafs had gotten Luke, I think Brayden would have waived to go there,” continued Friedman.
Toronto Maple Leafs Likely Happy Brayden Schenn Blocked Proposed Trade
GettyBrayden Schenn’s offensive output has dropped off during the 2025-26 season.
Ultimately, Luke Schenn was acquired by the Winnipeg Jets from the Nashville Predators ahead of the 2025 deadline. Toronto, instead, shifted its focus to other targets at the time. The Maple Leafs went on to grab Brandon Carlo and Scott Laughton ahead of the deadline to help their playoff chances.
Although the two completed deals may not have turned out exactly how the Leafs expected, they are still likely glad that Brayden Schenn blocked the proposed deal. Schenn’s production, like many other Blues players, has taken a significant hit so far this season. The forward previously racked up 50 points for the team during 2024-25. However, he has just 18 total points more than halfway through 2025-26.
On top of this, Cowan has taken a fairly big step forward in his development this year. The 20-year-old phenom has 13 points in 32 NHL games during the current campaign, all while playing relatively modest minutes. As a result, the Maple Leafs have essentially made Cowan untouchable in any trade discussions. This comes as multiple teams have asked about the budding star in recent weeks.
Leafs Once Again Being Linked to Schenn Brother in Trade Market
Although Toronto previously failed to acquire Brayden’s brother, Luke, they could revisit a potential deal in the coming weeks. The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel has once again linked the Maple Leafs with the defenseman. Siegel picked out three possible targets for Toronto to strengthen its blue line ahead of the March 6 trade deadline. Luke Schenn is seen by the reporter as an economical choice for the Leafs.
Toronto will undoubtedly attempt to bring in at least one more defenseman to help make a playoff push. Fellow blueliners Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev are both currently out due to injuries. Nevertheless, the Leafs will need to get creative because of their financial restrictions with the salary cap.
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