Maple Leafs Have a Legitimate Opportunity to Land a Former 1st Overall Pick

One of the worst-kept secrets in the NHL was revealed this week when reporter Andy Strickland revealed that Mitch Marner is officially done in Toronto and will not re-up with the Maple Leafs this summer.

Unfortunately, the Leafs reportedly just missed out on acquiring long-time Rangers star Chris Kreider. However, there's another player in New York who is rumoured to be available, and he happens to be a former 1st overall pick.

According to veteran reporter Larry Brooks, word out of New York is that Alexis Lafrenière's name has come up numerous trade discussions, with the first pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft appearing more and more likely to be dealt this summer.

While the Leafs don't have much in the way of draft capital, they do have some potentially intriguing pieces that they could use to possibly sway the Rangers into parting with Lafreniere.

Arguably the best piece in the system not currently playing in the NHL is Leafs prospect Easton Cowan, who is fresh off of a 2nd consecutive OHL championship, and his first Memorial Cup championship.

Leafs Nation, I'm sure, would not be too thrilled to part with the top prospect in the organization, but if it meant acquiring a quality young player with a bright future, like Lafreniere, the deal might be a little more well-received by the fan base.

Lafreniere plays a feisty, forecheck-heavy game, which could be tailor-made for someone like Craig Berube. In addition, Lafreniere's vision, soft hands, patience, and finishing ability are also assets.

The skilled winger's career-best season was a 57-point campaign in 2023-24, but keep in mind that it also took another 1st overall pick, Nathan MacKinnon, 5 seasons to really explode offensively as well. Acquiring Lafreniere now could be an absolute home run for the Maple Leafs, who are about to watch Mitch Marner walk away for nothing as a UFA.

So far, no teams have been officially listed as a frontrunner in the Lafreniere sweepstakes, but if the Leafs want to make a splash this summer, few moves would provide a better risk-reward proposition than acquiring a player like Alexis Lafreniere, who could explode offensively and emerge as a star as early as next season.