The Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Rumor Mill

The Toronto Maple Leafs are heavily involved in trade rumors right now.

For Toronto Maple Leafs fans, that is nothing new. As the trade deadline approaches, the rumors will only increase. I thought I would share some of the rumors I have seen and give some feedback. Some rumors are plausible, while others seem a bit of a pipe dream, but nevertheless, we will look at them anyway.

Please remember that rumors are to be taken with a grain of salt.

There may be some truth to some of the rumors I am about to talk about, but until an actual trade happens, feel free to take these rumors however you like.

Trade rumors are fun to discuss and give fans something to think about.

Each of the rumors I am about to look at in this article comes from thefourthperiod.com, which has gotten a few trade rumors right in the past, so take that however you wish. Their credibility is not 100%, but neither are the trade rumors from the hockey insiders. It is all speculation and should be considered nothing else until an actual trade happens.

So, without further ado, here are some of the latest rumors surrounding the Leafs. I will admit that I agree with some of them, but we will need to wait and see what Leafs general manager Brad Treliving does. He does have some work to do to make the Leafs a Stanley Cup contender. As of right now, they are not.

David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok

David Pagnotta from thefourthperiod.com believes that David Kampf (who just returned from injury last night) and Calle Jarnkrok (recently added to the LTIR) will become cap casualties at the NHL trade deadline.

I would love to see Kampf traded. Re-signing him for four years at $2.4 million was a mistake by Leafs GM Brad Treliving. Finding a team that is willing to take Kampf would be a great way for Treliving to correct one of his mistakes.

As for Jarnkrok, I don't see the Leafs trading him away unless it is part of a trade package involving multiple players.

He holds too much value within the Leafs lineup. He can play almost anywhere up and down the lineup, and a team needs players like that.

Keeping a player like Jarnkrok at $2.1 million makes more sense than keeping Kampf at $2.4 million. (Salary cap information from capfriendly.com)

I don't have a problem with either of them getting traded, but I think Jarnkrok is harder to replace.

I would rate this rumor as highly probable, but we likely see only one of them get traded by the NHL trade deadline.

Here is a look at how each player has performed this season. Kampf has registered four goals and four assists for eight points in 46 games. Jarnkrok has registered ten goals and nine assists for 19 points in 46 games. (All stats are from hockey-reference.com)

Scott Laughton

Rumor has it that the Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are interested in Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton.

To acquire Laughton, the apparent asking price is a first-round pick. The Leafs have their 2024 first-round pick, but will they use it on Laughton or try to package it with another player for a better return?

Laughton has seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points in 54 games this season. Last season, he finished with 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points. Laughton can play center or left wing, so it will make sense for the Leafs to acquire him if they do, in fact, trade David Kampf.

Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe could move Pontus Holmberg down to be the fourth-line center, and Laughton could take over as the third-line center. He has more size and scoring ability than Holmberg.

The Leafs would need to fit Laughton's $3 million salary cap into their system until it expires at the end of the 2025-26 season. Trading away Kampf and Robertson in other deals will free up enough space, depending on the returns in these trades. I don't see the Leafs having trouble making room for Laughton.

Although I think he could be a good fit for the Leafs, I don't think he is worth a first-round pick. So, this rumor could have some truth in it, as I'm sure the Leafs have shown interest in Laughton, I don't see them acquiring him for a first-round pick.

Jordan Eberle and Colton Parayko

The Leafs have been linked to Jordan Eberle of the Seattle Kraken and Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues. Acquiring either of these players would be expensive on the Leafs salary cap. Eberle would be a rental at $5.5 million, and Parayko would be a long-term investment at $6.5 million until the end of the 2029-30 season.

I'm going to start with the Eberle rumor. He is 33 years old and plays the right wing. The Leafs don't need a winger for the right side. Unless Eberle can play on the left wing, I don't see the point of acquiring him.

For $5.5 million, the Leafs will want him in the top six. No team should have a $5 million player playing on the third or fourth lines. Eberle has nine goals and 20 assists for 29 points in 48 games. Although the Leafs might have interest in him, I don't see them adding Eberle at the deadline.

Now, to look at Parayko. There are more good reasons for adding Parayko than bad ones. He is a 6'6", 228 Lbs, right-shooting defenseman averaging 23:54 minutes of ice time. So, let's see, he's big, shoots right-handed, and can play a ton of minutes. He is the type of defenseman most teams look to acquire. The Leafs being interested in him makes perfect sense. However, do they want to pay him $6.5 million a season in his declining years? Probably not, but they could always try to unload him later.

He will be 36 when his contract expires. If he can play well until then, the money doesn't really matter.

As long as the Leafs can find a way of acquiring him at the deadline, most of his salary going forward would be the $5.5 million coming off the books this summer once defenseman T.J. Brodie leaves in free agency. If I had to choose between the two, I would acquire Parayko as he addresses a greater need on the team.