5 Off-Season Trade Targets that Actually Make Sense for the Toronto Maple Leafs
By James Tanner
![Apr 25, 2024; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) make a save against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period in game three of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports Apr 25, 2024; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) make a save against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period in game three of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4027,h_2265,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/121/01hynwde977gmjevwgsn.jpg)
Zach Werenski
He's 26 and makes almost $10 million per year.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are getting a new GM and might want out of this deal. It's not exactly a great deal, but if you think a 26 year old whose always played on one of the worst teams might be better in a different context, this is the player to target.
Werenski is a huge risk.
Injuries, a bad, long contract, and who knows what you're going to get.
BUT
You'd be trading for a distressed asset, which means you might get him cheap, or maybe even with some salary retention. The Blue Jackets are a long, long way from being a contender and would love out of this deal, one assumes.
The Leafs aren't going to find an Alex Pietrangelo or Zdeno Chara in this year's free-agent crop. No one is trading them a Mikko Heiskanen for Mitch Marner.
So if they want a number-one D-man, they've got to look under some rocks.
Werenski might be next to free if you took on his full contract. Considering the Leafs sat $11 million on the bench in game six vs Boston, cap space might not be such a problem for them anymore.