If the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to win a Stanley Cup next season, there's still a chance that they could go out and try to make a blockbuster move. However, for them to do that, there are a few different things they have to consider.
After losing Mitch Marner and possibly having to move on from others in the near future, the Maple Leafs could view next season as a year where they're going to struggle and try to figure things out.
However, given some of the other veterans on the roster, the Maple Leafs are still in a somewhat decent position to compete, at the very least.
Despite the uncertainties of what the Maple Leafs want to do, Heavy Sports’ Cole Shelton recently proposed a trade idea to send them a veteran player in Mats Zuccarello of the Minnesota Wild. The downside in this trade would be sending a second-round pick to the Wild.
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Maple Leafs acquire: Mats Zuccarello
Wild acquire: Nick Robertson, 2027 second-round pick
“The proposed deal would be an intriguing one as Toronto would acquire Zuccarello from the Wild to fill a top-six role. The Wild, meanwhile, get a draft pick and a young NHL forward who could use a change of scenery.
“The Maple Leafs would add Zuccarello, who’s entering the final year of his two-year, $8.25 million deal. Zuccarello can be Toronto’s second-line left winger, which is a major need for the team. He’s coming off a season where he recorded 19 goals and 35 assists for 54 points in 69 games. His career high is 79 points and 26 goals,” he wrote.
Moving on from a second-round pick in the position the Maple Leafs are currently in would be interesting, but it isn't like it'll be the end-all be-all. Ultimately, the Maple Leafs probably need younger players, and Zuccarello wouldn't be that, but it's still an intriguing thought and something they could consider depending on how the remainder of the offseason goes.