The 2023 NHL Trade Deadline is March 3. Expect the Toronto Maple Leafs to load up on talent including make one massive deal with one of these 10 players.
The Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves in another year with high expectations surrounded by the all too common reminders that they haven’t seen the second round of the playoffs since “Yeah” by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris was a number one hit.
Nick Robertson was just two and a half years old then.
The pressure is on lame duck GM Kyle Dubas to move his squad into what can now be considered unfamiliar waters. Not only does the fan base expect greater success, but his continued employment could very well be contingent on it. The team needs to win now.
The only way the team will find its desired success is to ensure the skaters themselves are the right combination of talent. By the NHL’s trade deadline, other clubs will be looking to find returns on the players they believe will depart next season in free agency. This will be the Toronto Maple Leafs best chance at making a significant deal.
While there will be many different players who will sit on teams’ trade wish lists, Toronto has their own desired athletes.
This article will explore their top 10. Noticeably absent from this list will be a goalie. This is because it would be best to make a deal sooner to meet the franchise’s abundant need for goaltending. With injuries and uncertainty between the pipes, stopping pucks should be addressed much earlier by the Leafs than the March 3 deadline.