The NHL trade deadline is just a couple of days away and Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving is looking to upgrade his roster. The Maple Leafs are pushing for a Atlantic Division title and would love to have home-ice advantage as much as possible throughout the playoffs.

Treliving’s in a tough spot this season with the Leafs’ cap situation. Toronto recently activated veteran forward Calle Jarnkrok, which leaves the team with just over $100,000 in current cap space. It will certainly be a money-in, money-out situation for the Leafs, so Treliving will need to be creative to land anyone who moves the needle for his hockey club.

Enter the New York Islanders. The Isles have several teams to leapfrog in the Eastern Conference if they want to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and it’s likely if the price is met on several of their trade candidates, then GM Lou Lamoriello with likely considering pulling the trigger, even with his team entering Wednesday’s action three points behind the second wild-card spot in the East.

There’s certainly a chance these two teams could do some business together, here’s three Islanders’ trade candidates for Treliving and the Maple Leafs to consider:

Nelson has been on all the trade boards this season, and as a pending unrestricted free agent, in a market that’s light on top-six centres, Nelson stands out above the rest. This won’t help his asking price, as the competition will certainly inflate the acquisition price but Nelson would be a great fit for the Leafs, and would give them some lineup versatility, especially in their middle-six.

The 33-year-old is owed $6 million for the rest of this season, and does have a 16-team no-trade clause, however joining forces with Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs is likely something that falls near the top of Nelson’s approvals. Through 61 games this season, Nelson scored 20 goals, and 43 points. He’s known as a streaky scorer, who can put up goals in a hurry, which could very much come in handy in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Nelson has proven himself throughout his postseason career, collecting 27 goals and 50 points, in 78 playoff games. The Leafs would likely have to move Fraser Minten in this deal, and could have to pair him with Max Domi to make the financials work. It appears the Leafs are more willing to give up Minten than they are moving their 2026 first-round pick, or recent top pick Ben Danford.

If Treliving wants to make an unexpected splash on the blueline, Dobson could be available for the right price. The 25-year-old right-handed defenseman is a pending restricted free agent, who recently just changed agents, which normally means he wasn’t happy with how extension talks were going, or the focus is more trade related.

Dobson’s one of the better all-around blueliners in the league, and he’d give the Maple Leafs their most skilled right-handed d-man in recent years. Through 50 games Dobson’s posted 25 points, while playing close to 24 minutes a game. Dobson posted a career year last season, recording 70 points in 79 games, and could be a great partner for Morgan Rielly, as he’s also a very strong skater, who sees the ice well and can take some of the offensive pressure off.

Dobson would improve the Maple Leafs power play, he’d be a big part of their penalty kill, and a big part of their long-term future. At 6-foot-4, he has good size and last season he blocked 180 shots, which is certainly a skill he can continue to develop getting to work with Chris Tanev on a regular basis.

At $4-million AAV this season, once again, Treliving would need to get creative, but if he’s willing to spend to find a core piece on the back end, Dobson should be near the top of the list.

Pageau has another year left on his contract at $5 million AAV, and like Nelson, the 32-year-old versatile forward owns a 16-team no-trade clause. Pageau’s a honey badger, he loves to play an in-your-face style, and while he’s not suited for a top-line role, can certainly give the Leafs a different look among their middle six.

Pageau’s posted 30 points in 58 games this year, he’s won 60% of his faceoffs, and he’s been throwing his weight around landing 123 hits. His game is suited for playoff hockey, and playing under Craig Berube could do wonders to elevate his game, when the games matter the most.

Pageau’s a solid third-line centre candidate, who would give the Leafs another element of being a tough hockey team to play against. He’s well rounded, can play both sides of special teams, and he wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to acquire, it’s just more so convincing the Islanders to retain some of his salary, which of course will drive up the asking price slightly. But, this is a player the Leafs maybe able to acquire without giving up one of their top prospects, even though Treliving should be open to doing so in order to move the needle for the Maple Leafs this season.