Absurd New Trade Proposal Involving the Maple Leafs Creating Some Contentious Discussion in Toronto

The Toronto Maple Leafs are still on the hunt for a top-six forward, according to Brad Treliving, who continues to work with rival general managers in search of a deal that works for both sides.

A recent report Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman had suggested that the Predators could move star winger Filip Forsberg this season, and that the Maple Leafs could be in on those discussions. What he did not mention, however, was anything about the potential asking price.

Cost of acquisition is always a determining factor of whether or not a deal makes sense for the acquiring team, especially when it comes to star players. There's no question that Forsberg, one of the league's premier wingers, would fetch a handsome return.

However, the hypothetical Leafs-Predators trade proposal mentioned by The Score on Thursday certainly managed to create one heck of a debate.

In the clip below, The Score's Kyle Cushman, Levi Smith and Aidan Thakkar pondered what a potential trade for Forsberg could look like for the Leafs and Predators, and took part in a little "who says no?" segment.

The deal presented was Filip Forsberg to Toronto for Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, Calle Jarnkrok, and the Leafs' 2028 1st round pick.

I'd imagine that if you put this deal in front of everyone in Leafs Nation, a very large contingent of the fan base would say no to this deal. Why? Well, we're already seeing good early returns from Easton Cowan, who made his NHL debut earlier this week.

When you add another top tier asset like Ben Danford, on top of another 1st round pick in 2028, plus Jarnkrok, that would equate to 3 first round picks and an NHL player in exchange for an aging, albeit very talented, winger in Forsberg. That's just an absurd price for anyone to pay.

Granted, Forsberg is a cost-controlled winger, and there would be salary retention in the deal for the duration of Forsberg's contract, but it still seems like a lot for the Leafs to pay, especially with the insane amount of cap space they'll have to spend next summer.

Were I Brad Treliving in this scenario, I'm saying no. Not because I don't want the Leafs to pull the trigger on a deal for Forsberg, but because I believe that the price is a little too high, and I do believe that the Leafs could get it done for less.

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