Western Conference Team Gives Maple Leafs a Perfect Blueprint for a Proper Trade

On Saturday, former Leafs defenseman Cody Ceci and veteran center Mikael Granlund were acquired by the Dallas Stars for a 2025 first-rounder and Winnipeg's 2025 fourth-rounder.

As Jonas Siegel noted in his latest piece for The Athletic, the Stars were able to add depth down the middle and on the back end in one deal. The Stars were able to accomplish that by only dealing one significant asset in their first-round pick this season, which the Leafs unfortunately do not have.

However, the Leafs do have a handful of other assets they can leverage to accomplish the same type of trade. Brad Treliving just needs to stop waiting and pull the trigger on a deal that will help his team rather than continuing to be a bystander and watching these valuable pieces drop off of the trade watch list.

Given the need for a center, Granlund had been one of the potential options linked to the Leafs in recent weeks, but now that Jani Hakanpaa appears to be done for the season, Treliving will have to further either dilute his assets and make two trades, or make a larger splash the way the Stars did.

One potential option for the Leafs would be to engage with the New York Islanders about pending UFA Brock Nelson and right-shot defenseman Scott Mayfield, who have both been linked to the Leafs recently.

A deal for those two players would be larger than the Sharks/Stars deal as money would have to be sent back to the Islanders, but it is also just one way for Treliving and the Leafs to fill two holes in the lineup with one trade without stripping the cupboards of as many assets.

With the trade deadline just over a month away and the Four Nations Face-Off beginning next week, the Leafs are quietly and quickly running out of time to acquire the pieces needed for a lengthy playoff run.