If you didn't get your information anywhere but Twitter, then the Toronto Maple Leafs would seem to be a team in disarray, but things aren't really as bad as some fans and the media would have you believe.
The Toronto Maple Leafs did lose again in the playoffs, and they changed their coach, and everyone seems to be talking about trading a player who appears to be on pace to become the second-best player in the 100 year history of their franchise, and yet, this is a team clealry on the verge of winning.
The Leafs need a goalie and a top defenseman, but otherwise their team is pretty great. It's obvious that trading Mitch Marner is a mistake. The Leafs shouldn't be looking to trade their second best player. He's 27 and has been on pace for 100 points in four straight seasons.
He also plays elite defense, and the Leafs are 95% guaranteed to lose any trade involving him.
That said, if there is a trade you can actually win, anyone should be available in a trade. I am not so much against trading Mitch Marner as I am against losing a trade. If the Leafs can win the trade, I'm all for it. (all salary and no-trade info capfriendly.com).
You can't make this up:
— Editor in Leaf (@EditorinLeaf) May 24, 2024
The Toronto Maple Leafs once traded for Ryan O'Reilly and his Conn Smythe Trophy b/c he is a "Playoff Warrior" and have to trade Marner b/c he "sucks in the playoffs" but ROR didn't even make it out of the 1st round until he was older than Marner is now.
Toronto Maple Leafs on the Verge of Greatness
The Leafs, in reality, are a near-great team with a ton of young building blocks (Robertson, Woll, Knies, Liljegren) and a fantastic core.
Their problem isn't their core players, as much as it was Brad Treliving had an awful first year as GM - bad summer, sat out the trade deadline and then his starting goalie in the playoffs was a guy who cleared waivers in January.
The Leafs exceeded expectations by taking Boston to game seven as underdogs, and likely could have won if Treliving added anything at the deadline besides Joel Edmundson.
Their problem this year is the same as it's been forever - they haven't been able to augment their superstars with enough homegrown talent, and they don't have a top-ten defenseman or goalie on their roster.
The first one is almost certainly taken care of. The Leafs have a great group of young players and also have Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten on the horizon.
To get the goalie and defenseman, and to do it without trading Marner will be difficult, but it shouldn't be impossible.
Therefore, here are the five players they should target this summer in a trade.