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Toronto Maple Leafs Wishlist Ahead of NHL Trade Deadline

By Stephen Nixon

TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 09: Nick Foligno #71 of the Columbus Blue Jackets scores a empty net goal at 19:37 as Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 09, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 09: Nick Foligno #71 of the Columbus Blue Jackets scores a empty net goal at 19:37 as Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks on in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 09, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

It’s hard to go one day without talking about Toronto Maple Leafs trade rumors because it’s that time of the year.

We all know it’s coming. The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to make a deal and it’s hopefully going to be a big one. In year’s past, the team has flirted with NHL Trade Deadline acquisitions, with some deals being bigger than others.

Jake Muzzin and Jack Campbell are two impactful players that are still with the organization who were mid-season trade acquisitions. Campbell’s been injured for the majority of the season, but he’s still an important piece of the future, while Muzzin is a top-four defenseman.

Besides those two transactions, the biggest trades in the Auston Matthews Era have been for aging fourth-line centres. Tomas Plekanec and Brian Boyle fit the needs for the Leafs for two seasons and were solid additions, but they didn’t stay for long. They played out the remainder of the year and were gone.

When you’re a Stanley Cup contender, mid-season trades are tricky. Most organizations have a short window to win, so battling between a current player and future assets is tough. If you think one more player will help you get to the Stanley Cup Finals, it’s worth making the move, even if it backfires.

If you give up your top prospect and a first-round pick, then get bounced in the first round of the playoffs, it’s a tough pill to swallow. However, taking that risk is what it’s all about in professional sports. Your fanbase deserves a winner, especially if that fanbase is the Toronto Maple Leafs.

This could be the year that fans have been waiting for since 1967. As a result, the Leafs have a wish list heading into the NHL Trade Deadline and here are the top three things they’re looking for.

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