Elliotte Friedman shares insight on Toronto Maple Leafs' 'wish list' ahead of trade deadline

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently shared details about the Toronto Maple Leafs' trade deadline plans. On Friday's episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, he said the team has a "wish list" of players they are considering.

The Leafs are evaluating each player based on two factors: how much they like them and what it would cost to get them. Friedman said (21:35):

"And I think, like, Toronto's got, I would call it a wish list that they are working through. Here's this person that we kind of like, what would it take? Here's this person we kind of like, what would it take?

"And I think it's a combination of, A, how much do they like the player and B, what's it going to cost to get that player? So I think they're working through that."

With the March 7 trade deadline approaching, General Manager Brad Treliving is leading the process. The team is exploring different trade options and weighing the risks and benefits. They want to improve the roster while keeping future flexibility in mind. Some of their targets could be second-line centers, but not all of them. Friedman added:

"You kind of have your group of people that you like, and you try to figure out what can you do? Like, what is reasonable?

"And so I think the Maple Leafs are kind of going through all this right now and saying, 'Okay, if it's X, we have to give up Y, if it's Z, we have to give up Q. And, or is this not even really a possibility at all?'"

Last season, the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated in the first round by the Boston Bruins in a seven-game series. Since 2004, they have won only one playoff series, which came in the 2023-24 season.

This year, they hope to make a deeper playoff run. Management is carefully considering trades to help strengthen the team before the postseason.

Toronto Maple Leafs' performance this season

The Toronto Maple Leafs have given a solid performance this season with a record of 33-19-2. Currently, they are second in the Atlantic Division below defending champions Florida Panthers.

The Leafs are on a three-game winning streak. Over their last 12 games, they have followed a pattern, losing three in a row, then winning three straight.

This season, they are playing under new head coach Craig Berube, who is known for his disciplined system. Berube won a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues and is now working with the Leafs' core players: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares.

The Toronto Maple Leafs' power play at 23.5%, and penalty kill at 80.2%, needs improvement. Nylander leads the team with 33 goals, while Marner leads in assists (55) and points (71). Matthews has missed 15 games this season due to injury but has been playing well since his return.