Trade Pitch Has Maple Leafs Adding $33 Million Forward in Blockbuster

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are in their Stanley Cup window and a trade pitch has them acquiring a star forward to bolster its offense.

The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs acquiring Alex Tuch from the Buffalo Sabres.

Maple Leafs acquire:

Alex Tuch ($2.4 million retained)

Sabres acquire:

Easton Cowan
2027 first-round pick
2025 second-round pick (Florida’s)

The proposed deal would be a blockbuster as Toronto gets Tuch from a division rival for two draft picks and the Maple Leafs top prospect.

Tuch is in the sixth year of his seven-year $33.25 million deal with the Sabres. The American can be a middle-six forward for the Maple Leafs and add some much-needed depth scoring. Tuch has skated in 29 games recording 8 goals and 16 assists for 24 points.

The Maple Leafs would part ways with two draft picks and top prospect Cowan. Cowan was selected in the first round of the 2023 NHL draft. He’s currently playing in the OHL and with the London Knights, he’s skated in 20 games recording 28 points. He’ll play for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship starting December 26.

Maple Leafs Need Depth Scoring

Adding Tuch does make sense as Toronto desperately needs depth scoring.

The Maple Leafs are led by Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner. But, outside of that, Toronto hasn’t gotten the depth scoring they wanted which is an issue according to coach Craig Berube.

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“For sure, the score sheet, the goals — it’s important,” Berube said. “Max has got to maybe take a little bit different approach and not be such a selfless player and shoot more. Just getting to the net and greasy areas a little bit more. He’s that type of player that he could score goals there.

“He’s a strong guy and heavy guy. So, I think for him — a lot like Nick Robertson — they got to get on the inside more and get around that net and score some greasy goals. And we need them to. We need those guys. We need secondary scoring,” Berube added.

Despite not getting the depth scoring, the Maple Leafs are atop the Atlantic Division with a record of 18-9-2. Toronto will return to the ice on December 14 against the Detroit Red Wings.

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Buffalo has the longest playoff drought in the NHL.

The Sabres are likely to miss the playoffs again and general manager Kevyn Adams says the team isn’t a destination. With that, they need to draft well which is why the deal does make sense as they’d get a top prospect and two high picks.

“We’re not a destination city right now,” Adams said. “Where you’re going to be able to go out and UFAs that are key guys. And I just don’t think that’s a way to build a sustainable winner… You have to earn it. For me, it’s really simple. You become a perennial playoff team, you make the playoffs, you have a chance to win the Stanley Cup year after year, you’re on (fewer) no-trade lists.

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“We don’t have palm trees, we have taxes in New York, those are real and those are things you deal with. And trust me I’m in conversation every day and there’s a lot of players in this league we need to earn their respect,” Adams added.

The Sabres are 11-14-4 this season.

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