The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect system is very good right now, which means they should package them all for a Stanley Cup run.
If this was five years ago, I’d be more hesitant to see the Toronto Maple Leafs ship away their high-end prospects, but at this point of the Auston Matthews era, I think it’s enviable.
General manager Kyle Dubas will be under more pressure than ever at this year’s NHL Trade Deadline. For every year that this team doesn’t advance in the playoffs, it makes his chances of being employed less likely.
And since he’s without a contract for the 2023-24 season, he should be pulling every trick he has to win in the playoffs and ultimately win a championship.
Toronto’s best players right now, beside John Tavares have been drafted and developed in the system. Morgan Rielly, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren are all Leafs draft picks and are the team’s core players right now as they head into a stretch-run.
There are a handful of prospects that could join the likes of those players I just mentioned but it probably won’t be this year, and could be as far as three years away. With that being said, the Leafs need to win now, so they should use some of their assets to draw in a high-end player.
As such, here are the Toronto Maple Leafs top-five trade assets right now.