There are only six days left until the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, which means the trade action is about to ramp up. The Vancouver Canucks got ahead of it when they acquired Andrei Kuzmenko and Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames. The next big domino to fall was thought to be the Toronto Maple Leafs’ biggest target, Chris Tanev, who went to the Dallas Stars. The Flames are selling off pieces this season, and a few teams have capitalized on that; however, the Maple Leafs don’t seem to be one of those teams, unless they can trade a depth forward from them.
It is hard to trade in the NHL, especially when you don’t have many assets. The Maple Leafs have a few later-round picks they can offer, as they seem hesitant to trade their top prospects and a first-round pick. This means general manager Brad Treliving will need to get creative when acquiring players, especially after acquiring Ilya Lyubushkin from the Anaheim Ducks for a third and sixth-round pick.
Currently, the Maple Leafs sit third in the Atlantic Division and have won the last eight of nine games. Over the last two weeks, this team has felt a bit different, and it has shown on the ice. Unfortunately, their biggest weakness is still their blue line — specifically on the right side — and even after the Lyubushkin trade, they need another depth defenceman who is right-
