There is no question that the Toronto Maple Leafs need to have a massive trade deadline.
Not only have two of their main Eastern Conference opponents already added major additions (Mikko Rantanen and J.T Miller) but the Toronto Maple Leafs have Auston Matthews and William Nylander in their primes, and both Mitch Marner and John Tavares are pending UFAs.
Furthermore, the Leafs happen to be one of the oldest teams in the NHL, and they also have a new boss who is creepily watching in total silence from the sidelines and who may, if the team does not meet expectations, end the Shanaplan and send Brendan and Brad walking.
Finally, there is the fact that last year the Leafs held onto their first round pick, made practically no deadline moves of consequence and then lost by a single goal in the seventh game of the first round, making last year's Trade Deadline one of the biggest failures in franchise history.
So with their careers on the line, Treliving and Shanahan have to come up big. So what is the Dream Scenario?
What is the Dream Trade Deadline for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
The Dream Scenario for the Leafs at the Trade Deadline is that they solidify themselves as a team with a full forward lineup and not just two lines while also addressing their need for a number-one defenseman.
First, I would trade Ben Danford and a first-round pick to the Bruins in exchange for Trent Frederic. He's 6'3 220 and can be the Leafs Hagel/Cirelli. He can score, he can play D, he's pesky, big, hits, fights, etc. He's the total package and would give the Leafs something approaching the best centre-ice setup in the NHL.
With Matthews-Tavares-Frederic down the middle, the Leafs will have something that is arguably better than when they had Ryan O'Reilly. O'Reily at his peak is better than Frederic, but Frederic is a lot closer to his peak than ROR was when the Leafs got him.
The next trade is more controversial. In it, the Leafs send Matthew Knies to the Islanders for Noah Dobson. Yeah, it hurts to trade Knies, but here is a good explanation on why it's worth doing. Getting Dobson allows everyone on the Leafs blue-line to move down a peg, and gives Rielly the partner he's long dreamed of.
Noah Dobson scored 70 points last year and he's half-decent defensively as well. He can drive play and will give the Leafs a major and much needed upgrade on the blue-line. He could, arguably at least, be the best Leafs defenseman since Tomas Kaberle retired.
Getting Dobson and Frederic would give the Leafs something approaching the best roster in the NHL, and while the cost is high, it would turn them into a legit Stanley Cup Threat. Something that they are in no way, shape, or form right now.
Dobson and Frederic represent the absolute best the Toronto Maple Leafs can do at the deadline, and they owe it to their fans and players to make it happen.