Maple Leafs Have Made All But 2 Players Available for Trade: Report
The Toronto Maple Leafs could look much different next season, as Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun reports that the team has made everyone available but two players.
Following Toronto being eliminated by the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the front office said everything would be considered. Mitch Marner and John Tavares became the two players involved in most trade rumors.
However, in Simmons’ latest article for the Toronto Sun, he writes that Toronto has made it clear that everyone is available for trade except for Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
“Here’s the plan, much as there is one: The Leafs have basically let it be known in the hockey world they are in trade mode. Just about anyone and everyone is for sale except for Auston Matthews and William Nylander,” Simmons wrote in his article. “The idea, according to those close to general manager Brad Treliving, is to build a Leafs team that can be more competitive come playoff time — better and tougher to play against — both stronger defensively and steadier in goal.”
As Simmons writes, the goal for the Maple Leafs is to get stronger defensively and better in the net, while also becoming a more complete team. Currently, the Maple Leafs have over $46 million in salary for their four core forwards, Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and Tavares so Toronto could look to trade one or two of them and use that money on multiple players to build out their depth.
