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Leafs GM Brad Treliving Has Unique Opportunity to Skirt New NHL Rule and Acquire Elite Playmaker
Photo credit: Caean Couto-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs may have a unique opportunity to do something very interesting thanks to Brad Treliving's strong relationship with agent Allan Walsh.
After opening their 2025-26 season with a big 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens this week, we got our first look at this re-vamped Maple Leafs lineup, though there were some mixed reviews.
The Maple Leafs are now officially the NHL's heaviest team, as confirmed earlier this week, so they did give up some speed to the Canadiens on Wednesday. They did, however, outhit their opponents, inflicting a lot of punishment in the victory, and maybe that's a part of the plan.
The Leafs still have every intention of pulling off a deal for a top-six forward this season, but as Brad Treliving had previously alluded to, deals for a top-six forward are in short supply right now, as teams have all benefitted equally from the large salary cap bump this season.
Still, there's one potential scenario trade here that nobody is seeing, and it's one that could pay real dividends for the Maple Leafs if they can pull it off. It begins with a unique relationship between a player agent and Leafs GM Brad Treliving.
This week, Leafs GM Brad Treliving was a guest on SDPN's "Agent Provocateur" with agent Allan Walsh and podcaster Adam Wylde. During the appearance, we got to see the relationship of Walsh and Treliving from behind the curtain.
The Leafs Should Think Outside the Box and Pursue an Elite Playmaker in Jonathan Huberdeau
Walsh and Treliving have a wonderful relationship, which could allow the Leafs to do something that nobody is talking about. The Leafs may be able to replace Mitch Marner with another elite playmaker who may be available, and who happens to be Walsh's top client: Jonathan Huberdeau.
The Flames inked Huberdeau to a massive 8-year extension worth $10.5M per season shortly before Brad Treliving stepped away from the Flames and took the GM job in Toronto. Needless to say, that deal hasn't panned out the way anyone hoped.
Huberdeau, a former superstar with the Florida Panthers, has not experienced the same level of success in Calgary. The Flames may actually entertain the idea of moving him after 55, 52, and 62-point seasons to begin his tenure there, with the struggling winger under contract through 2030-31.
There's a Way Around the NHL's New Double Salary Retention Rule
On Wednesday during Sportsnet's coverage of the Leafs' home opener, the panel, including top insider Elliotte Friedman, discussed the possibility of a team (or teams) potentially finding their way around the NHL's new rule limiting the ability for teams to pull off double salary retention deals, like the ones we've seen during basically every recent trade deadline.
The new rule forbids teams to trade players twice inside of a 75-day span with salary retention on both ends of the deal. However, if the Leafs want to be crafty and get to work early here, they could be the first to do it.
If the Leafs and Flames were to bring another team into the action and have the Flames deal Huberdeau elsewhere for 75 days and retaining $2M to make the deal more attractive, that team would then be able to retain an additional sum (say, $1M) after the 75 days, and flip him to the Leafs. It just requires Treliving and Walsh to help facilitate it all.
Huberdeau Makes a World of Sense for the Maple Leafs at a Discounted Rate
Huberdeau at $10.5M does not make sense for the Leafs. However, Huberdeau at $7.5M makes considerable sense for the Leafs, given what we know about the player and the situations in which he delivers the best results.
Huberdeau was a superstar in Florida, playing alongside Aleksander Barkov -- an elite two-way center in the NHL with the ability to put the puck in the net.
Both players put up career years during their 2018-19 seasons together. They exploded again in 2021-22, with Huberdeau notching a career high 115 points and Barkov netting a career high 39 goals.
There's another team who has an elite two-way center in the NHL, and one who can unquestionably dwarf Barkov's goal production. His name is Auston Matthews.
If Huberdeau plays well with these types of players, perhaps he is the suitable replacement for Mitch Marner on that top line for the Leafs.
The 32-year-old is likely available, given what he earns, and when you add to that the fact that the Leafs can still make a double-retention deal work, and the strong relationship between Walsh and Treliving, perhaps we could see such a deal materialize if there's enough motivation to do so from all sides.
Huberdeau a Quality Replacement for Mitch Marner in Toronto
It's this type of outside of the box thinking that could give the Maple Leafs an opportunity to get their hands on a top-tier playmaker. It could work out well for all parties involved; Calgary rids themselves of a big contract, a broker team brings in some quality assets, and the Leafs get their Mitch Marner replacement. It's a win for everyone.
Sure, this may be a pipe dream scenario right now, but it's only a few phone calls away from potentially becoming a reality, and it's not all that far-fetched of a scenario when you really consider everything about the situation, objectively.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 10 | 569 ANSWERS Leafs GM Brad Treliving Has Unique Opportunity to Skirt New NHL Rule and Acquire Elite Playmaker Do you see a world in which the Maple Leafs can pull off a deal for Jonathan Huberdeau to replace the departed Mitch Marner? | ||
| Yes, it makes a lot of sense | 140 | 24.6 % |
| No, too many moving pieces | 277 | 48.7 % |
| Intrigued, but not hopeful | 152 | 26.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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