The countdown is on to the trade deadline. It seems likely that the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to see if any ground can be made up in the standings in their first couple of post Olympic break games before fully committing to becoming deadline sellers, but in the likely event that the Leafs are subtracting and not adding, it’s important to know which buyers are looking for what.

Using The Athletic’s list of needs for each team, below is a table showing the ideal Leaf options for each team and whether those clubs have higher end draft picks available in 2026.

When it comes to Buffalo having a first round pick, it probably doesn’t matter nor does the fact that they don’t have a second round pick if their best potential targets are Benoit and Stecher. Neither Stecher or Benoit will bring a second in return unless you look at a situation like Pittsburgh where they could potentially be looking to unload Dumba’s contract while taking back a cheaper defenceman.

The Avalanche are interesting as that they have been so dominant this year but are in a tough spot when it comes to adding given their shallow prospect pool and lack of resources in 2026. As much as it should be in the Leafs best interest to look at 2026 draft picks rather than deferring to later drafts, if there is a fit with the Avs it would need to involve Toronto looking at 2027.

Detroit seems like a truly interesting option for the Maple Leafs to explore. Steve Yzerman isn’t shy about moves and their combination of futures and likely desire to dump Justin Holl’s salary make them one of the most interesting options for a Leafs team that shouldn’t be shy about dealing in their own division.

The wide-open Pacific is something that the Leafs need to take advantage of. Presently none of the teams in the Pacific would be in a playoff spot if they were in the East, and with the Kings adding Panarin and potentially pushing the Ducks, Kraken, Oilers, and Knights, the Leafs and other sellers could cash in on the league’s most mediocre arms race.

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