The Toronto Maple Leafs are seeking help at the centre position and are looking for a third-line centre but are open to exploring the cost of adding a second-line centre. On top of that, it wouldn't hurt to add some additional depth to their defense.
The Toronto Maple Leafs could upgrade their depth on defense and up the middle in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Kraken. Leafs general manager Brad Treliving could also right a wrong made by former GM Kyle Dubas in the process.
According to Jacob Stroller from Sportsnet, the Seattle Kraken might make Jared McCann available before the NHL trade deadline. McCann has 14 goals and 28 assists for 42 points in 57 games this season. He is only 28 years old and is just two seasons removed from his 40-goal season (2022-23). McCann has a salary cap hit of $5 million a season until the end of the 2026-27 season.
(All stats from hockey-reference.com) (Salary cap information from puckpedia.com)
It is safe to say that McCann checks off a lot of boxes for the Leafs. McCann could solve the Leafs problems at centre-ice, and give the Leafs one of the best 3Cs in hockey.
Toronto Maple Leafs Need to Make Blockbuster
On top of acquiring Jared McCann from the Kraken, the Leafs could fill another need by acquiring Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak. Oleksiak is a giant (6'7, 257 Lbs) 32-year-old, left-shooting defenseman from Toronto, Ontario.
He has four goals and nine assists for 13 points in 57 games. He plays a top-four roll on Seattle, but he has had a rough go of it this season as Seattle is getting destroyed when he's on the ice by a score of 41-26 and he has an Expected Goals Rating of 42%. (naturalstattrick.com).
Oleksiak is huge and throws a ton of hits. His hit totals are down this year, but he normally averages 100 hits or more per season and also blocks 100 or more shots per season as well. Oleksiak is another player who would check off a lot of boxes for Treliving. Yes, he's done badly on Seattle this season, but there's reason to think he would do better on a stronger Maple Leafs team. His size and defensive acumen would be a major addition regardless of his current stats.
Oleksiak has one more season on his contract after this season, but his salary cap hit is $4.6 million. So, adding McCann and Oleksiak would be a total of $9.6 million towards the salary cap this season and next. That brings us to what the Leafs would need to send back to Kraken in a deal for McCann and Oleksiak.
The Leafs have $2.9 million available with Calle Jarnkrok and Jani Hakanpaa on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). Seattle will need to be willing to take back a few contracts, or the Leafs will need to find help from a third team to help with the cap situation. A trade with the Kraken for McCann and Oleksiak would need to start with the Leafs 2026 1st round pick and one of their top prospects Fraser Minten or Easton Cowan. On top of that would be the moving of contracts to make the salary cap work.
To Seattle:
2025 2nd round pick
2026 1st round pick
Easton Cowan ($904, 667) RFA 2027
Nick Robertson ($875,000) RFA 2025
Max Domi ($3.75 million) UFA 2028
Conor Timmins ($1.1 million) RFA 2025
David Kampf ($2.4 million) UFA 2027
To Toronto:
Jared McCann ($5 million) UFA 2027
Jamie Oleksiak ($4.6 million) UFA 2026
This trade would allow Brad Treliving to show Leafs fans that he is serious about going all-in to try and win the Stanley Cup. There is no telling how well Easton Cowan will be at the NHL level, or whether or not the 2026 1st round pick and 2025 2nd round pick amount to anything special. However, when you're a team in a win-now mode, there is no time to think about the future.