The Toronto Maple Leafs will be buyers before the trade deadline, and it just so turns out, they could be buying what the San Jose Sharks are selling.

Keep an eye on Luke Kunin and Jake Walman of the Sharks. Both players would fit in perfectly for the Maple Leafs, filling the roles of shut-down centre, and a two-way defenceman, who can help alleviate some of the heavy minutes Morgan Rielly has to play.

Let’s start with Kunin. He was recently linked to the Leafs by hockey insider Elliotte Friedman, and as Friedman always says, usually the first team linked to the player is the one who winds up landing them via trade. So far this season, Kunin has scored 11 goals, and 18 points, in 53 games. He’s playing just over 15 minutes per game, including 1:43 on the penalty kill each game, and while he’s not necessarily a dynamic offensive threat, it’s Kunin’s two-way, in-your-face style that should be appealing to Treliving, and more so Craig Berube.

The Sharks forward doesn’t mind doing whatever it takes to help swing the momentum of a hockey game, as he proved here, dropping the gloves recently after the Sharks went down 3-0 to the Nashville Predators:

Kunin hits everything that moves, landing 130 so far this year, with his career high of 223 coming in 2021-22, as a member of the Nashville Predators. The 27-year-old center has also done a great job winning faceoffs in the defensive zone, and given his attention to details on both sides of the puck, Kunin would be a great addition for the Maple Leafs up front, allowing them to create a shut-down line as the Stanley Cup Playoffs approach.

Considering his age, the sandpaper he brings, and his ability to play down the middle of the ice as a right-handed defensive-minded centre, the Maple Leafs should be all over Kunin. Sharks’ GM Mike Grier continues his rebuilding mode in San Jose, so moving his veteran centre, who has a $2.75 million cap hit for the rest of this season, makes a ton of sense.

Sharks defenceman Jake Walman is also a player off San Jose that Treliving should have on his radar. The 28-year-old Toronto, ON native would be a huge upgrade on the power play over Rielly, and he’d give Berube another top-four defenceman for the rest of this season, and next. Walman is signed for $3.4 million AAV, and like Kunin, doesn’t hold any trade protection on his contract.

Walman’s recorded six goals, and 28 points, in 40 games this season in San Jose. He’s playing massive minutes at close to 23 a game, in all situations, and while he’s not the most physical defenseman, his game would be a compliment to the likes of Chris Tanev, Simon Benoit, and Jake McCabe. The Leafs have been linked to adding another middle-six centre to the team before March 7, but with that said, don’t be surprised if they add another top-four defenceman, with Walman being someone that should be at the top of their wish list.

Last summer Robertson asked to be moved, Treliving said no, and the rest has been history this season. Robertson was the Maple Leafs’ top scorer during the preseason, but ever since the regular season started, he’s been very inconsistent, being taken out of the lineup at times this year.

Robertson makes perfect sense as a trade target for San Jose. He’s 23 years old, with an elite shot, and some untapped potential to his game. He’d be leaving a media circus in Toronto and heading south to California, giving him a chance to play in front of his family, and close friends. The Sharks are rebuilding and could give Robertson a chance to grow his game and play consistent top-six minutes for at least the rest of this season. The fact that he’s a restricted free agent at season’s end, giving the Sharks some team control, should be a positive factor in these trade talks.

Yes, the Leafs would need to give up more than just Robertson to land both players, but he’s certainly a start to the trade package. A young defenceman and a reasonably high draft pick would certainly need to be included, with the potential of either a Ryan Reaves, David Kampf, or Conor Timmins needing to be involved due to balancing out the cap hits.

Grier and the Sharks have shown a willingness to retain salary of players they move, with the likes of Erik Karlsson, Tomas Hertl and Brent Burns still on their payroll, but that will result in Treliving having to sweeten the trade offer to include much more than just Robertson, plus, plus.

Keep an eye on these two teams leading up to March 7. The Leafs and Sharks align as potential trade partners, and with a recent history of getting business done together, there’s certainly a chance Grier and Treliving hammer out another deal.