Leafs Reportedly Pushing Hard to Acquire Veteran Defenseman, Facing Resistance

The Maple Leafs were victorious once again against the New York Rangers on Saturday night, securing their fourth straight win since the Four Nations Face-Off break and looking in top form.

However, even though they're undefeated since the end of the 4 Nations break, with the trade deadline looming, the Leafs have been actively seeking a deal to improve their roster.

GM Brad Treliving has made it clear that he will only make the right deal and won't trade for the sake of completing a trade.

While the Maple Leafs have dealt with a string of injuries this season, the most recent setback came as veteran Chris Tanev went down with injury and missed the game against the Rangers, leaving a significant hole in their lineup. This highlights the team's need to strengthen their defensive depth before the trade deadline.

Making a trade won't be easy given Treliving's criteria and the current market conditions. As reported by Elliotte Friedman during the second intermission of the Maple Leafs-Rangers game, the Leafs are keen on acquiring Adam Larsson and have been for some time. Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis has expressed that he is not interested in trading Larsson, according to Friedman.

Francis reportedly told the Leafs, regarding their intentions to acquire Larsson:

Larsson is a highly coveted talent around the NHL, not for his offensive production, but for his defensive consistency and two-way play. He's the ideal type of player for head coach Craig Berube's system and is signed to a reasonable contract through the 2028-29 season at $5.25 million per year.

The Maple Leafs have several trade assets in their cupboard, including top prospects Fraser Minten, Easton Cowan, and Ben Danford, as well as their first-round pick, all of which are drawing interest across the league.

Although the Maple Leafs won't be able to land a player like Larsson, they will certainly be searching elsewhere for a similar defensive asset as the trade deadline quickly approaches.