Top 10 Best Trades in Toronto Maple Leafs History

The Toronto Maple Leafs were shakers and movers this off-season and it got me thinking about some of the best trades in team history.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been incredibly busy lately, having already made five trades this off-season. Although some transactions were bigger than others, it’s hard to argue that any of the moves made were bad.

In fact, the ability to move Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, while getting real assets in return was remarkable. Both players are former 20-goal scorers, but the Leafs were able to replace them cheaply (Vesey, Thornton, Barabanov, Robertson) and then trade them for prospects while getting salary cap relief.

Within the Kapanen deal, the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired an AHL-level defenseman,  and two potential A-level prospects. Filip Hallander will become an NHLer eventually, while Rodion Amirov, who the team selected with the draft pick that the Penguins gifted them could be one of the biggest steals of the Draft.

Although the New Jersey Devils package for Andreas Johnsson wasn’t as steep as what the Pittsburgh Penguins gave up for Kasperi Kapanen, Kyle Dubas was once again able to get a quality piece in return. The Toronto Maple Leafs were able to clear all $3.4M of Johnsson’s contract, while acquiring Joey Anderson, who by all accounts will be a roster player. Maybe not this season, but next year for sure.

Overall, the Toronto Maple Leafs roster is going to look a lot different next year, thanks to a few great trades. Let’s look back at the best 10 trades in Toronto Maple Leafs history.