The Toronto Maple Leafs could make a blockbuster move to acquire a star forward who needs a fresh start.
Toronto has been active this offseason, but the Maple Leafs could still make another big move to further bolster their roster. The Maple Leafs could use another forward, and NHL analyst Thomas Williams of FanSided urges the team to acquire Elias Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks.
“The Toronto Maple Leafs have a unique opportunity to get a very good center for almost nothing in the trade market,” Williams wrote. “It’s a slight risk but the Leafs need to trade for Elias Pettersson to truly do as much as they can this summer. …
“Pettersson isn’t what he once was, but the pressure to be the No. 1 center would be off of him if he were to be on the Leafs. In Toronto, he would most likely be in the middle six, with John Tavares taking the other center job, and insulated by some very talented players like an Easton Cowan or a Matthew Knies or a William Nylander, or even if we want to get crazy, having Jack Roslovic or Colton Sissons up on his wing. It’s much better than the likes of wingers he’s had in Vancouver the past couple of seasons.”
Pettersson can be the Maple Leafs’ second-line center, which is a clear need, which would put John Tavares at third-line center. And if Auston Matthews leaves in two years, Pettersson can take over as the first-line center, so it’s worth the risk.
The Swede is entering the third year of his eight-year, $92.8 million deal, so it is a hefty salary to absorb. But, Toronto could part ways with Morgan Rielly and LTIR Max Domi to make the money work.
Canucks Looking to Trade Pettersson
After another lackluster season from Pettersson, the Canucks are once again open to trading him.
Not only are the Canucks looking to trade him, but Vancouver isn’t looking for much in return. Instead, Canucks insider Thomas Drance reported Vancouver is looking for a similar return to the one the Edmonton Oilers got for Darnell Nurse.
“Darnell Nurse trade return as a best-case scenario,” Drance wrote. “In that trade, Edmonton was able to clear the balance of Nurse’s contract, and there’s massive value in that. The Oilers also received a young defender at the tail end of his entry-level contract, who isn’t tracking to be much more than a depth contributor going forward, but still has some level of possible upside.
“That would represent a solid return for the Canucks for Pettersson, even if they would likely be better off taking back an inefficient contract to get a more valuable future in the exchange.”
So, in return, Vancouver could be looking for a third-pairing defenseman and a depth forward. But if the trade is going to happen with the Maple Leafs, Rielly would likely have to go the other way.
Pettersson recorded 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points in 74 games last season. In 2022-23, he had 102 points but has since recorded 89, 45, and 51, which is a cause for concern.
Maple Leafs Could Use Another Center
Toronto addressed its bottom-six this offseason, but the Maple Leafs could use another top-six forward.
Even if Pettersson can’t become a 100+ point player again, if he can get back to the 80-90 range, he would be a solid second-line center for the team. And, the big reason for acquiring him would be to move Tavares to the third-line center role or the wing, which is better suited for him at his age.
So, at this point of the offseason, if the price is right, the Maple Leafs should look to acquire Pettersson.
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