Maple Leafs have plenty of options on the trade market

Our resident hockey insider Frank Seravalli released his latest trade board on Daily Faceoff, and let’s just say there are several interesting names for Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving to consider. There also happens to be several players Treliving is familiar with, which holds a tremendous amount of value these days in the NHL.

The Maple Leafs made easy work of the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night and have now won four games in a row. Toronto is rolling and Treliving will be actively working the phones for the next eight weeks, trying to upgrade the roster for what everyone hopes in a long Stanley Cup Playoff run. In no particular order, here’s who Treliving should have his eye on from Seravalli’s trade targets:

Surprisingly enough, Seravalli listed Chychrun as his #10 trade candidate as the Ottawa Senators are looking to re-tool on the fly. What would be more surprising is seeing Ottawa send Chychrun to the Leafs. While the fit is there, let’s be honest, Chychrun fits on all 32 teams, Sens GM Steve Staios would ask for a massive package from Treliving, and rightfully so. Even though the Sens blueliner is signed for next year as well at a very reasonable $4.6 million, is it worth giving up Fraser Minten and/or Timothy Liljegren?

Lindholm will be coveted and the acquisition price could be substantial, however, if, and a big IF, Treliving decides to part ways with his 2024 first-round pick for a pure rental, Lindholm could be in the conversation. He’d help the Leafs fill out the third line and move Max Domi back to the wing, which appears to be a spot up for grabs these days. The depth down the middle would be tough to play against for opponents and Lindholm helps your team in every situation. At $4.8 million against the cap and a significant trade package, there’s no doubt Treliving would have to get creative here.

Like Lindholm, Hanifin is the type of player you consider moving your first-round pick for. As Seravalli points out, this is a tricky situation because contract extension talks have gone back and forth throughout the season, so it’s hard to say how much Flames GM Craig Conroy wants to move the mobile defenceman. Hanifin’s a pure top-four d-man who would be a huge upgrade to the Leafs’ second pair. Treliving is very familiar with his game and the person, so it’s going to be interesting to see how big of a trade the Leafs and Flames can pull off if they do wind up doing business together.

Starting to see a theme? Ex-Flame Sean Monahan has battled a slew of injuries, however, is having a very good season on a bad Canadiens team. He has 23 points in 39 games, 57% on faceoffs, plays power play and kills penalties, and only costs $1.98 million against the cap, so interest will be high throughout many contenders. The in-division asking price is always more so Kent Hughes can work a hard bargain. Monahan would be a great get and a nice story seeing the hometown kid come back for a playoff run. Wait, has that happened before?

The last Flame, I swear. Tanev has been linked to the Maple Leafs since Treliving took over the team and rightfully so, Toronto lacks defensive depth and when it comes to pure defense, there aren’t many better in the league. Tanev’s also a hometown kid and at $4.5 million, is manageable for the Leafs to add as Conroy’s likely retaining some salary in any deal he makes. The rugged blueliner is perfectly suited for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and would instantly become a fan favourite due to his passion and commitment to a team game. Elliotte Friedman always says it’s usually the first team you hear linked to the player who comes away with him, if that’s the case here, Tanev could be on his way to Toronto before March 8.

Like Monahan, the veteran Henrique would be a great addition to the Leafs’ bottom six. He’s solid in the faceoff dot, he plays in all situations, and when healthy, he’s put up some great numbers the past three seasons including 22 goals in 62 games a year ago. While Henrique doesn’t have a ton of playoff experience, he plays the game the right way and has a tremendous IQ for the game. He’s the type of vet a coach can trust and just plug and play into their lineup. Seravalli mentioned the Dallas Stars are likely going to be very interested in adding Henrique ahead of the deadline.

Some honorable mentions from Seravalli’s list include Philadelphia Flyers defensemen Nick Seeler and Sean Walker, however, both would be considered depth moves and not necessarily move the needle for the Maple Leafs.

Nevertheless, it’s going to be interesting to see how Treliving handles his first trade deadline as Maple Leafs GM. There’s an absolute zero % chance he doesn’t make a move, the team deserves another shot at a Cup run, and with a couple more pieces to their puzzle, dreams could become much closer to reality.