The NHL trade deadline is just a couple of days away and the Toronto Maple Leafs are bound to make a move or two until then. Toronto has made some notable moves over the last few years in terms of approaching the deadline. Here are the major trades the Maple Leafs orchestrated in the last four seasons.
Reviewing Toronto’s Last Four Trade Deadlines
2023-24 Season
The 2023-24 campaign, also known as last season, was Brad Treliving‘s first as the general manager of the Leafs. Ahead of this trade deadline, Treliving didn’t make any groundbreaking moves. However, he addressed Toronto’s blueline by acquiring a couple of defensemen and a depth forward. Treliving was the general manager of the Calgary Flames for nine years before he mutually agreed to part ways with the team. He made some major trades with Calgary, including sending Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers for Jonathan Huberdeau, and MacKenzie Weegar, among other assets. Over time, it became clear that Florida won that trade but in the moment. However, it was considered a win for Treliving’s team when the deal happened.
Treliving hasn’t made a blockbuster trade for Toronto yet. However, that could change over the next week. Last season, the general manager made a handful of trades, all with a depth theme. On Feb. 29, 2024, the Leafs acquired defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin in a three-way trade with the Anaheim Ducks and Carolina Hurricanes. Toronto suffered a 2025 third-round pick and a 2024 sixth-rounder. One week later, Joel Edmundson was traded to Toronto from the Washington Capitals for a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 fifth-rounder. Neither draft picks used for the Edmundson trade were originally owned by the Maple Leafs.
Those pair of defensemen didn’t stay with the Leafs past that season as they were pending UFA’s. After retrieving those two blueliners, Treliving added Connor Dewar as a depth forward for Toronto. He cost a 2026 fourth-round pick and Dmitry Ovchinnikov from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Dewar has been a solid piece to Toronto’s fourth line. He’s not incredibly effective offensively, but he forechecks well and can kill penalties.
2022-23 Season
This campaign was the final year of Kyle Dubas’ five-year tenure in Toronto. It was the last year of his contract and he showed desperation and urgency with his deadline deals. The multiple significant trades Dubas made, played a huge role in the Maple Leafs advancing to the second round of the playoffs. It was the first time since 2004 they advanced that far in the postseason.
Dubas began to pick up the phones two weeks ahead of the March 3 trade deadline. On Feb. 17, 2023, he started with a bang, receiving Ryan O’Reilly as the centrepiece of a three-team trade with the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild. This trade involved nine assets, including three draft picks going to the Blues as well as a 2023 first-round pick. That draft pick turned out to be Otto Stenberg, who currently plays for St. Louis’ AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Ten days later, the Leafs made another big-time package deal. This time they brought in defenseman Jake McCabe and forward Sam Lafferty from the Chicago Blackhawks. In return, the Maple Leafs traded their 2025 first-round pick. They also sent two minor-league forwards, Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev, to Chicago. In hindsight, McCabe was a great add by Toronto, on many nights he is their best defenseman.
Two other notable trades from this window include Luke Schenn from the from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2023 third-round pick. Also, Toronto sent away D-man Rasmus Sandin to the Capitals for a 2024 first-round pick, which became Easton Cowan. They also received defenseman Erik Gustafsson as part of that deal.
2021-22 Season
In the 2021-22 season, the Maple Leafs did most of their business the day before the March 21 deadline. Furthermore, they made two significant trades to bolster their D-corps. First, they traded away defenseman Travis Dermott to the Canucks for a 2023 third-round pick that originally belonged to the Winnipeg Jets. Eventually, the team traded away that draft pick in the offseason to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The reasoning behind this Dermott trade was to make some room for their next acquisition. Later that day, Toronto would receive D-man Mark Giordano and forward Colin Blackwell from the Seattle Kraken. At the time of this trade, Giordano was three years out from winning the 2019 Norris Trophy. This was a big add for Toronto, even if he was pushing 40 years old when this deal happened. In that season, he scored 12 points in 20 games. He followed that season with four goals and 20 points in 78 games.
2020-21 Season
Looking back at the time when fans weren’t allowed to watch their favourite teams in person because of COVID-19, Toronto didn’t make the greatest deals. Their main business in the 2020-21 trade deadline window was with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Leafs traded for depth centre Riley Nash from Columbus, but two days later, they made their biggest move of the season. It should also be noted that goaltender David Rittich joined the Leafs from the Flames to help with depth between the pipes.
The Maple Leafs orchestrated another three-team deal, this time with the Blue Jackets and the San Jose Sharks. Toronto acquired Columbus’ captain Nick Foligno as well as Stefan Noesen for a 2021 first-round pick, a 2022 fourth-round pick, and a 2021 fourth-round pick. The 2021 first-round selection turned out to be Corson Ceulemans. He’s played the last three seasons with AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, the Blue Jackets’ affiliate.
Foligno only played 11 games with Toronto, including playoff appearances and never scored in the Blue and White. In the regular season, he recorded four assists in seven games while in the playoffs he generated one helper in four games.
All trade information and details are from PuckPedia.
Main Photo Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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