The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to be busy on the trade front under first-year GM Johb Chayka. With each passing day, there is a new rumour floating around about who the organization is interested in. However, one of the names that continues to be brought up is Detroit Red Wings' Simon Edvinsson, who is still without a contract.
Edvinsson being linked to the Maple Leafs does make a lot of sense. He would add something that the club doesn't have on their backend right now: youth. He would be by far the youngest defenceman on the roster and would also very likely be considered the best. The only issue would be cost to get the deal done, so let's take a deep dive into it and see what exactly Toronto would need to give up to acquire Edvinsson from the Red Wings.
Edvinsson would be a costly addition for the Maple Leafs
One thing is obvious: acquiring Edvinsson from the Red Wings could cost the Maple Leafs a lot. To be able to get a 23-year-old defenceman with top four upside, who is just entering his prime, and who will fit in nicely with the core group in Toronto. Not to mention that he is 6-foot-6 and can play on both sides of the puck.
Unfortunately, it's going to cost a lot to acquire him from the Red Wings. It wouldn't be surprising if it cost the Maple Leafs Easton Cowan as the centerpiece of the trade as well as the 2027 first-round pick that they got from the Colorado Avalanche as part of the Nicolas Roy.
There are some other trade ideas that could potentially get Edvinsson out of Detroit. One that makes sense is centered around Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the 2027 first-round pick, and one of Tinus Luc Koblar or Ben Danford.
Ideally for Toronto, they'd want to keep Cowan because of how well he has played this season. It would also make a lot of sense for them to keep Ben Danford as part of the future core. So, that would leave Koblar as the most obvious choice as a high-level prospect to part with.
Toronto would also need to deal a current roster player on the blue line that makes a decent cap hit. Which is why Ekman-Larsson, despite playing well for the last two seasons, he would be the most likely candidate. Alongside Koblar and Ekman-Larsson, Toronto would need to give up some future assets, which is where that 2027 first-round pick comes into play. The Maple Leafs would probably also need to include the 2028 second-round pick to help sweeten the pot.
Chayka and the Maple Leafs also would need to sign Edvinsson to an extension. There were reports that he turned down a contract that carried an AAV of $8.5 million and is seeking something in the $10 million range. Which would put him in the range of a $70 million on a max-term contract with the Maple Leafs.
At this time, it is still unknown if Toronto and Detroit are in trade talks for Edvinsson. However, according to reports floating around the internet, the Maple Leafs are one of the numbers of teams that are inquiring about him.
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