The Toronto Maple Leafs don't have a pick in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, but we could see them pull off a blockbuster deal Friday night, instead.
Rasmus Andersson's name has been heavily involved in trade rumors for over a year now. The Calgary Flames defenseman was reportedly on the block around the trade deadline last season and multiple teams were involved in trade talks to acquire the 28-year-old blueliner.
One of those teams was the Toronto Maple Leafs and according to Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos, they could re-engage discussions soon. And with all 32 NHL general managers working the phones from their respective headquarters around the continent this weekend, could we see something happen in the coming days?
Andersson is coming off a season where he logged nearly 24 minutes a night, blocked 196 shots, and scored 11 goals—numbers that would’ve led all Leafs defensemen. Toronto has long lacked a dependable right-side blueliner who can contribute at both ends, and Andersson’s ability to play against elite competition makes him a strong fit for new coach Craig Berube’s system.
The Flames are reportedly open to moving him after failed extension talks, and with just one year left on his $4.55 million deal, his value is peaking. The Leafs’ challenge? Calgary may want high-end assets in return—possibly a top prospect like Easton Cowan or a package involving picks and roster players.
Maybe, if the Flames want some more stability to their backend and to replace some of the puck-moving ability, Toronto will be open to dealing out defenseman Morgan Rielly to Calgary. Could the British Columbia native and longest tenured member of this Maple Leafs team, be sent out west?
Rielly's name, like Andersson's, has been in trade rumors recently. The 31-year-old blueliner has five years left on his contract that carries a $7.5 million AAV. The major issue is that Rielly has a full no-move clause on his contract, meaning he would need to approve of any trade that sends him out of Toronto. Does that create a massive hurdle and complicate things? Yes. Does it mean a trade is impossible? Not really.
The Leafs defenseman has been recently named as a player that could use a change of scenery by Daily Faceoff, and with Leafs general manager Brad Treliving demanding a change of DNA on this team, that feels like a massive change on the blue line.
It wouldn't be a one-for-one, Andersson-for-Rielly swap, but that could benefit both teams if that was the foundation of this hypothetical blockbuster trade.
We will see what comes in the coming days.