New Report Puts Popular Maple Leafs Trade Rumour to Bed

Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving continues to scour the market for a top-six forward to help replace Mitch Marner, whom he traded to the Vegas Golden Knights before the start of free agency.

Since dealing Marner, Treliving's plan has been to replace the star forward's production by committee -- which he has attempted to do with the additions of Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua and Nicolas Roy.

However, none are proven top-six forwards, and while everyone knows the Leafs won't be landing another Marner, even Treliving would prefer to have someone with a proven track record in his top-six.

Traded to Colorado in 2019 after a second consecutive post-season suspension, Kadri has not shied away from wanting to return to Toronto following the departures of Kyle Dubas and Brendan Shanahan.

Unfortunately, while the Leafs had kicked tires on the 34-year-old, Full Press Hockey's Jim Biringer put any chance of a reunion to bed during an appearance on TSN's Montreal radio station last week.

Considering the Flames barely missed out on the post-season last year, it isn't a surprise they don't want to move their number one center -- but even if they did, the Leafs and Treliving would have to out-do any other offer by a significant amount given the Flames and Conroy's hesitance to deal with the former Flames GM.

Although former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas didn't name the Kadri trade as his biggest regret, almost all of Leafs Nation sees it as his biggest mistake during his time with the Leafs.

Since being shipped out, Kadri has won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche and is currently entering the fourth year of a seven-year deal he and Treliving negotiated in the summer of 2022 shortly before Treliving left the Flames.