Blockbuster trade pitch emerges between Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers

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Graham Montgomery
August 5, 2024 (6:55 PM)

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A new trade proposal has emerged online linking Florida Panthers stars Aaron Ekblad and Carter Verhaeghe to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Florida Panthers won their first ever Stanley Cup last season. However, the NHL is still a business and even successful teams make major trades. Sometimes those deals can look confusing at first, but often they do not play out as we expect. Could the Panthers be looking to shake things up ahead of next season? Perhaps. One theoretical trade has the team shipping out two of their star players for future assets and increased depth.

Maple Leafs get:

Aaron Ekblad
Carter Verhaeghe

Panthers get:

Timothy Liljegren
Nick Robertson
Calle Jarnkrok
Bobby McMann
2027 first-round pick
2025 second-round pick (Florida's)

One part of this deal that does make sense is the inclusion of Nick Robertson. It is not clear whether or not the Panthers would have any interest in the young forward, but he has requested a trade from the Leafs after he was disappointed in his opportunities last season. That being said, Leafs general manager Brad Treliving has gone on the record saying that he thinks Robertson will be a key part of the team next season.

Brad Treliving on Nick Robertson's trade request: "We look at Nick as an excellent player, and there's great opportunity for Nick here, and we need him to be a good player for us."

Another one of the Leafs additions, Timothy Liljegren, has been regularly included in hypothetical trades and mock trades proposed by fans. However, the team has not shown any signs that they plan on trading him. Furthermore, some Leafs fans have pointed out how trading Liljegren would not really make much sense for the team.

The Leafs discourse is broken. Now Timothy Liljegren - who finished the season as the clear-cut #3, and is a solid puck-moving RHD - is getting traded?

The Leafs have a LOT of problems, zero of them are to do with Liljegren. Since when do you trade RHD signed dirt cheap?

It is probably safe to say that if such a trade were to happen, the NHL and hockey world in general would be shocked. That doesn't mean that it's not possible though!

Source: Heavy.com
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