Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Reportedly Seeking 3-Team Trade
Brad Treliving and the Maple Leafs are going to be looking to make the right deal but the GM is also looking for something specific in order to get a trade completed.
We are four days out from the NHL Trade Deadline and the Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to make a deal or two as they try to beef up their roster for a strong playoff push; arguably their best chance in years.
But Brad Treliving has a game plan, and while we don't know the exactly names and logistics involved, there is strategy. According to a new report however, there is one specific he is trying to maintain: A third team being involved.
Brad Treliving Adamant About Extra Team In Trade
In a recent article from The Athletic, NHL Insiders Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun broke down every team's outlook heading into the trade deadline. On the topic of the Maple Leafs, they mention how the need for salary retention brings a need for a third team:
Meanwhile, GM Brad Treliving is also hoping to procure another depth defenseman who can play the right side.
A tight cap situation looms over every decision in Toronto, which is why Treliving is likely to seek salary retention from any seller and/or use another team as a third-party broker to make the money work.
The cap is the crux of this entire situation, and unless Toronto can find a way to also remove some bloated salary elsewhere on their roster (Ryan Reaves, Jani Hakanpaa, Conor Timmins) it's going to be more than a bit of retention.
Toronto going after Schenn will guarantee retention, and while the other ones wouldn't necessarily warrant it, they aren't cheap either. Laughton makes $3M, Gourde is making over $5M, but Evans and Bjugstad are cheap; though not as impactful.
The team also has to figure out what the heck is going on with Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies, so getting any dollar saved is a massive boost toward getting those done as well.
Much like Chicago and Mikko Rantanen, Toronto could utilize a third team in order to ease their salary woes. Brad Treliving needs to make sure he uses every option available to him, and asking for some salary relief could be his best choice.
