Here we are on the Thursday before the NHL trade deadline and since my last post earlier this week there have been quite the trades that have happened. Here is a recap of them including that busy Wednesday afternoon of trades: 

FLORIDA	OTTAWA
Vladimir Tarasenko – RW	Conditional 2024 4th round pick
	2025 3rd round pick

*If Florida wins the 2023-24 Stanley Cup, then the draft pick is upgraded to a 2026 3^rd round pick. 

EDMONTON	ANAHEIM
Adam Henrique – RW	2024 1st round pick
Sam Carrick – C	Conditional 2025 5th round pick
2024 7th round pick

*Anaheim retains 50% of both Henrique and Carrick’s cap hit. Tampa Bay retains an additional 25% of Henrique’s cap hit and receives a conditional 2026 4^th round pick as compensation (If Edmonton does not win the 2024 Stanley Cup, then the pick becomes a 2025 4^th round pick. Edmonton also receives the rights to G Ty Taylor. The 2025 5^th round pick Anaheim receives becomes a 2025 4^th round pick if Edmonton wins the 2024 Stanley Cup. 

COLORADO	PHILADELPHIA
Sean Walker – RD	Ryan Johansen – C
2026 5th round pick	Conditional 2025 1st round pick

*2025 1^st round pick is top 10 protected. 

BUFFALO	COLORADO
Bowen Byram – LD	Casey Mittlestadt – C

SEATTLE	NEW YORK RANGERS
2024 2nd round pick	Alexander Wennberg – C
Conditional 2025 4th round pick (DAL)

*Kraken retain 50% of Wennberg’s cap hit. The condition follows a previous trade. If Nils Lundkvist earns 55 cumulative points over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 regular seasons, then the pick upgrades to Dallas’ 2025 3^rd round pick. 

VEGAS	CALGARY
Noah Hanifin – LD	Daniil Miromanov – RD
	Conditional 2025 1st round pick
	Conditional 2025 3rd Round Pick

*Calgary retains 50% of Noah Hanifin’s cap hit. Philadelphia Flyers retain an additional 25% of Noah’s Cap hit and receive a 2024 5^th round pick as compensation. Vegas also recieves the right to Mikhail Vorobyov – C, from Philadelphia. Conditions: 1^st round pick is top 10 protected, also the pick will become a 2026 1^st round pick if Vegas trades their 2025 1^st round pick by the 2024 Trade Deadline. The 3^rd round pick will become a 2^nd round pick if Vegas win 1 playoff round in 2023-24 season. Daniil Miromanov then signed a 2-year extension with Calgary for an AAV of $1.25 Million/season. 

Also, some other players have resigned with teams taking themself off the trade market like potential Toronto Maple Leafs trade target Zach Bogosian – RD, who signed a new 2-year contract to stay with Minnesota with an AAV of $1.25 Million/season.  

So where does that leave Brad Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs option wise this trade deadline? On name that has been thrown around is Justin Holl. Yes, the same Justin Holl the Maple Leafs just got rid of this past off-season when he signed a 3-year $10.2 Million contract with an AAV of $3.4 million/season. Now I know Sheldon Keefe, for some reason, absolutely loves Justin and would play him in all situations. I know the players loved him as well as he is a nice guy and great in the locker room, but we have been down this road before with him and it does not really work out. He is not the kind of player this lineup is missing. Yes, he is a right shot defenceman, but he was on the Leafs the past few seasons and even then, they needed to upgrade at that point with him. Nothing against Justin as he has proven to be an efficient NHL defenceman for many seasons, he is just not the right fit for the Maple Leafs if they want to go on a long run in the playoffs. 

While I still believe a guy like Matt Dumba or even David Savard, who has grown on me since my last post, would be the best possible fits a new interesting name has entered the discussion in the past day or so and that would be Joel Edmundson. Now I know what you are thinking, “He isn’t a right-handed shot defenceman though” and you would be correct, but it seems that their fewer options out there now than there were about 48 hours ago. There are also reports saying that Washington would be willing to retain 50% of his expiring contract so that teams would get him at a cap hit of $875,000 for the rest of the season. That seems intriguing, so I went to ChatGPT to see what they think a potential trade for Joel Edmundson at 50% retained would look like. Here is what it said: 

“Potential trades in professional sports are highly speculative and can depend on various factors such as team needs, player performance, contract length, and the current market conditions. However, I can provide a general framework for what a trade involving NHL defenseman Joel Edmundson with 50% of his salary retained might look like. 

First, let’s consider some key details about Joel Edmundson: 

He’s a defenseman who typically plays a physical, shutdown role. 

His contract terms, including salary and length, would be crucial in determining his trade value. 

Teams interested in acquiring him would likely be looking to bolster their defensive depth for a playoff run or to strengthen their blue line for the future. 

With 50% of his salary retained, the team trading away Edmundson would still be responsible for paying half of his salary, while the acquiring team would only need to pay the other half. This retained salary can significantly affect the trade dynamics. 

Here’s a hypothetical trade scenario: 

Team A (Trading Joel Edmundson with 50% salary retained): 

Receives: Draft picks and/or prospects, possibly a depth player to fill the gap left by Edmundson’s departure. 

Goal: Shed salary while gaining future assets or younger talent. 

Team B (Acquiring Joel Edmundson with 50% salary retained): 

Gives up: Draft picks and/or prospects, possibly a lower-salaried player to balance the trade. 

Goal: Bolster their defense for a playoff push or to strengthen their roster for the long term. 

The specific draft picks or prospects involved would depend on negotiations between the teams and their respective evaluations of Edmundson’s value. Factors such as Edmundson’s performance, his contract length, and the needs of the teams involved would all play a significant role in shaping the trade. 

Ultimately, trades in professional sports are complex transactions influenced by numerous variables, and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The actual trade could differ significantly based on the preferences and strategies of the teams involved.” 

Now this not really a trade that if I were Brad Treliving, I would be willing to part with my 1^st round pick in the draft for. But if Washington would be willing to take a later round pick like let us just say 4^th or 5^th round pick and a player like a Noah Gregor, Connor Timmins, or Nicholas Robertson this might be something to investigate doing before 3pm on March 8^th. Joel has been in the league for a while and has proven himself to be a good defender with little offensive upside to his game. He is a solid depth piece on defence and has played the Right side often even though he is a left-handed shot. I am not sold on this option but if it is all that is available and the price is right, I would not mind it as much as I would a Justin Holl reunion. 

*As I was typing this earlier today, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded a 2024 3^rd round pick (NYI) and a 2025 5^th round pick (CHI) to Washington in exchange for Joel Edmundson –LD/RD with Washington retaining 50% of his cap hit for the rest of the season. * 

Now another name that was out there in the past is a right-handed shot defenceman that plays very physically but would cost a lot more and for longer as he is signed to a contract until the end of the 2029-30 season with an AAV of $6.5 million/season is Colton Parayko. Now there is more that I would like to see than Colton wearing a Maple Leafs sweater for years to come, well the Leafs winning the Stanley Cup would be the only other thing, but I doubt this will happen because of his cap hit. There would have to be a lot of moving parts and would require St. Louis to retain 50%, which why would they do that for such a prolonged period, and then most likely another team to be involved to retain another 25% over the same period. Now with all there is a way to make this trade work so I once again asked ChatGPT what they thought a potential trade for Colton Parayko would look like and here is what they had to say: 

“A potential trade involving St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko would depend on various factors including Parayko’s performance, contract situation, the needs of both teams involved, and the current market conditions. Parayko is a highly valued defenseman known for his size, skating ability, and defensive prowess, so any trade involving him would likely be significant. 

Here’s a hypothetical framework for a trade involving Colton Parayko: 

St. Louis Blues: 

Receives: A package of assets including high draft picks, top prospects, and/or young NHL-ready players. They might also seek a defenseman to fill the void left by Parayko’s departure. 

Goal: Rebuild or retool their roster with younger talent, restock their prospect pool, and potentially shed some salary. 

Other Team (Acquiring Colton Parayko): 

Gives up: A combination of assets including draft picks, prospects, and possibly a roster player or two, depending on the Blues’ needs and preferences. 

Goal: Bolster their defensive core with a top-tier defenseman like Parayko, especially if they are in contention for a playoff run or seeking to strengthen their blue line for the long term. 

Specifically, the trade could involve high draft picks, blue-chip prospects, or established NHL players depending on the value each team places on Parayko and their respective needs. The negotiation process would likely involve discussions about salary retention, especially if the acquiring team is tight against the salary cap. 

It’s important to note that trades of this magnitude are rare and complex, often involving multiple rounds of negotiations and careful consideration of the long-term implications for both teams. Additionally, Parayko’s contract status, performance at the time of the trade, and any other external factors could significantly influence the trade package and its finalization.” 

This is a trade that you can all but guarantee that multiple draft picks, including first round picks, will be involved as well as prospects like an Easton Cowan, Fraser Minton, Nicholas Robertson, Matthew Knies, Nick Abruzzese would be involved in as well. This would also mean that St. Louis would believe that they are in a situation where they need to rebuild and that is not something I am sure that Blue GM Doug Armstrong is convinced they need to do currently. If a trade like this were to happen it would also most likely take place at the NHL draft or later in the summer months. I am not saying it is impossible, but it is a stretch something like this could happen. 

I believe the best option for the Maple Leafs at defence is to try and get Matt Dumba from the Arizona Coyotes for the rest of the season at hopefully 50% retained as well. ChatGPT says a potential trade might look something like this: 

“A trade for Arizona Coyotes defenseman Matt Dumba with 50% of his salary retained would likely involve a negotiation between the Coyotes and the potential acquiring team. Here’s a hypothetical trade scenario: 

Acquiring Team (Let’s call them Team X): 

Receives: Matt Dumba with 50% of his salary retained by the Coyotes. 

Gives up: Draft picks, prospects, and possibly a roster player to balance the trade. 

Goal: Strengthen their defense with a proven NHL defenseman like Dumba while mitigating the financial impact by having the Coyotes retain a portion of his salary. 

Arizona Coyotes: 

Receives: Draft picks, prospects, and possibly a roster player from Team X. 

Goal: Acquire future assets to aid in their rebuilding process while also shedding some salary by retaining 50% of Dumba’s contract. 

The specifics of the trade would depend on various factors such as the value each team places on Dumba, their respective needs, and the negotiation skills of the general managers involved. Additionally, the Coyotes retaining 50% of Dumba’s salary would make him a more attractive asset to potential acquiring teams, as it reduces the financial burden on them. 

Ultimately, the actual trade could involve additional elements such as conditional draft picks, salary-cap considerations, or other players being included to balance the deal. Each trade negotiation is unique and depends on the specific circumstances of the teams involved.” 

This trade would most likely see Toronto give up their 2024 1^st round pick and player like a Nicholas Robertson or similar player going to Arizona. That would be a trade that I think would be a benefit to both teams and help the Maple Leafs go on a deep playoff run. 

We are now in the final hours before the NHL trade dealine and it looks like busy one the closer to 3pm it gets tomorrow.