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The Maple Leafs wanted these 2 player trades to change their roster, but they didn't happen
TL;DR
The Toronto Maple Leafs attempted to make two significant player trades to reshape their roster but ultimately did not succeed. The team faced challenges in replacing key player Mitch Marner during the offseason.
Craig Berube
The Maple Leafs wanted these 2 player trades to change their roster, but they didn't happen originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Toronto Maple Leafs pursued multiple trades during the offseason.
They knew that replacing Mitch Marner wouldn't be easy, and while some moves ended up getting completed, others failed.
It's those failures that may have contributed, in part, to a nightmare 2025-26 season.
Without Marner, the Leafs weren't the same team. It wasn't just his loss that hurt them, but it sure didn't help.
And it turns out they could've had two different pieces that may have made things better.
The Athletic reported in a new story on Wednesday that the Maple Leafs pursued offseason deals for both Bryan Rust and Rickard Rickell from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
MORE:Maple Leafs' president brought AI trade pitches to deadline meetings
Maybe they would've just landed one, or maybe the aging Penguins would've considered moving both.
It certainly would've created a different tone around Toronto's offseason beyond this simply being the year they lost Marner.
"(Fired GM Brad) Treliving believed he had rounded out the forward group without the 102-point man and altered the 'DNA' of the team in the process," The Athletic's Jonas Siegel, Chris Johnston and James Mirtle wrote in their new article. "But his offseason additions were proving underwhelming — not like other offseason trade targets, including Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell, might have been."
The Athletic quotes one source as saying, "We beat down every door."
Apparently, not hard enough.
The Maple Leafs needed an infusion of top-tier talent back after losing Marner. It never arrived.
More NHL news:
Q&A
What trades did the Toronto Maple Leafs attempt during the offseason?
The Toronto Maple Leafs pursued two player trades to change their roster, but specific details about the players involved were not disclosed.
Why did the Maple Leafs want to replace Mitch Marner?
The Maple Leafs aimed to replace Mitch Marner due to his significant impact on the team's performance, making it a challenging task during the offseason.
What were the consequences of the failed trades for the Maple Leafs?
The failure to complete the trades may impact the Maple Leafs' roster depth and overall strategy heading into the new season.
