Toronto Maple Leafs Lose to Bruins + Trade Rumours Get a Little Silly

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost again to Boston tonight and do not seem to be interested in improving their team much, so rather than dwell on that, perhaps we could have some fun?

The Toronto Maple Leafs are not getting Sidney Crosby, and he is highly unlikely to want to leave the Pittsburgh Pengiuns. And while there are twitter rumours that are making this years's trade deadline slightly more fun, there is no reason to think any of them are credible.

There is basically no chance that Sidney Crosby will be donning a Leafs jersey on Hockey Night in Canada this weekend, but it’s intriguing to entertain the idea.

As the NHL Trade Deadline approaches at 3 PM EST on March 8, there is, maybe, if you squint, you could hope against hope that there is a non-zero possibility Crosby could end up with the Leafs...but that's about as close as youre getting.

Toronto Maple Leafs Lose to Bruins + Trade Rumours Get a Little Silly

While it's unlikely to happen, let's delve into a tweet by @incarceratedbob for more insight:

The Pittsburgh Penguins are not performing well and are due for a rebuild. Since being drafted No. 1 overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, the Penguins have only missed the playoffs twice in Crosby's career. The first time was his rookie season, and the next was last year, breaking a streak of 16 consecutive playoff appearances.

Could the Leafs Really Trade for Crosby? No But It's Fun to Imagine

With another missed playoff looming, it's plausible that Crosby recognizes the team's current situation and wants to be traded. Currently sitting with an 28-24-6 record, the Pens are likely to miss the playoffs again unless they undergo a significant improvement, which seems improbable. Given Crosby's understanding of hockey history, a trade in the foreseeable future is plausible.

While a trade of this magnitude typically occurs in the offseason, why would a general manager wait when it comes to acquiring Crosby? Despite being 36 years old, he's having an exceptional season and shows no signs of slowing down. While he may have only a couple of stellar seasons left, acquiring him for this year's playoff run would be advantageous if possible.

Some may think the Leafs would be an unlikely trade destination for Crosby, given Kyle Dubas's position as their current GM. However, with the Penguins poised to undergo a rebuild, who knows their system better than Dubas? He played a significant role in drafting or developing players such as Fraser Minten, Topi Niemla, Matthew Knies, Nick Robertson, Joseph Woll, and Timothy Liljegren, who could be valuable additions to a team initiating a rebuild.

Maybe Dubas doesn't want the prospects as much and would prefer an accelerated rebuild? So, let's say he wants Mitch Marner as a trade package instead to make the money work? Would you trade a guaranteed one season of Marner at $10.93M for two seasons of an aging Crosby at $8.7M? I'd make this deal immediately, and I don't think that's a hot take.

I think Dubas could sell the Pittsburgh market by acquiring Marner for Crosby and he could really expidite the rebuild that they desperately need. Crosby has all of the accolades you'd dream of, but he's yet to win a Stanley Cup with an Original Six franchise, which could change with one trade to the Leafs.

Brad Treliving could potentially beceome the greatest GM in Leafs history with one single move. It's not going to happen, but it's fun to think about.