The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a busy offseason so far, from losing Mitch Marner to the sneaky-good addition of Matias Maccelli, Brad Treliving has been one of the busiest GMs so far.
Now that the free agent selection has been picked clean, any addition the Leafs want to make will likely need to happen via trade.
However, despite still missing a true top-6 forward and a true franchise defenseman, the Maple Leafs may be better off waiting until the season has played out a bit before making any major trade.
And here's why.
As mentioned before, the Leafs are still missing another top-6 forward to round out the roster, as well as a #1 franchise d-man. However, we've seen teams win Stanley Cups without a true top defenseman (a la the 2017 Pittsburgh Penguins).
It's not easy by any means, but it's not impossible. As for the forward groups, now that's a different story.
Recent Stanley Cup Champions Florida, Tampa Bay, Colorado, and even Vegas all had some of the best forward depth in the league, and the Leafs will need to do the same if they want to win a cup.
Last playoffs, the Leafs had an effective fourth line of Scott Laughton, Calle Jarnkrok, and Steven Lorentz, but none of them managed to score in the 13 postseason games.
The departure of Mitch Marner has left a big hole in their top-6, and while Maccelli will help fill that role, another true star is needed.
One of Bobby McMann, Nick Robertson, Easton Cowan, or Max Domi could fill that void, and while none have been able to do so at a consistent basis, they all have the ability to do so.
Therefore, the Leafs are better to wait and see if they can fill the role from within. If by game 30-40 it's clear they need to make a trade, then make it. If an Alex Tuch-esque player is available at the deadline for cheap, make the trade.
The Leafs have very few assets to make a deal for a big-name player right now, but the good news is, they may not even need to make a deal.
Let's see how the season plays out for them.