Teams demanding the moon and stars from Leafs in trade talks

PUBLICATION

Ryan Smitheram
March 6, 2024 (11:00)

SHARE THIS STORY

Matthew Knies has been deemed untouchable by Brad Treliving

Photo credit: NHL

The Toronto Maple Leafs and GM Brad Treliving are continuing their efforts to add to the roster ahead of Friday's 3PM Eastern trade deadline. Treliving has recently come out and said that he would be willing to move the Leafs' first-round pick at this year's draft, but beyond that, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, he has also established that there are a handful of untouchables in trade talks.

Friedman was on the JD Bunkis Podcast and was asked about what assets the Leafs are willing to trade outside of their first-round pick. Friedman was asked specifically about Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten to which he had the following response.

"The one thing I do know is that people have asked about (Matthew) Knies, and Cowan, and Minten and they have said 'no' to this point," Friedman said. "The three players they get asked about the most are those guys. Knies, he's already a really good player, but they get asked about Cowan and Minten and they have resisted it and they're not interested. Toronto has made it very clear that those three players they are not interested in dealing."

While many Leaf fans would like the Leafs to take a big swing at the deadline and get a true top pairing defenseman to partner with Morgan Rielly, the cost to acquire one would likely include one of Minten, Cowan or Knies, their first-round pick and potentially more. Thankfully, Treliving understands how thin the Leafs' prospect pool is and that trading any of those three would set the Leafs back significantly in their next wave of young impact players.

With just a couple of days until the deadline, all eyes will be on how creative and aggressive Treliving will be to help this current Leafs roster in their pursuit of a Stanley Cup.

Previously on MapleLeafsDaily

BREAKING: Leafs prospect held out of the lineup 2 days before the trade deadline

Josh Anderson drops the gloves with ex-Leaf Luke Schenn and immediately regrets his decision

Major announcement drops regarding a former Leafs 1st round pick

POLL
6 MARS \| 474 ANSWERS Teams demanding the moon and stars from Leafs in trade talks If you HAD to move one top prospect in a deal for a legit top-4 defenseman, which of the three would you be most willing to give up?
Knies	92	19.4 %
Minten	323	68.1 %
Cowan	59	12.4 %
LIST OF POLLS