Why the Maple Leafs Will Absolutely Pull Off at Least One Trade This Week

With just two pre-season games remaining before the Leafs take to the ice for the home opener in just 8 days, the team has taken a break from training camp to take
part in their annual team trip to build some off-ice chemistry and wind down before the real work begins.

The Leafs trimmed their roster down by 33 names on Monday before departing for Muskoka, getting closer to settling on what appears to be their opening night roster. However, there were 3 names on the outside looking in, making it extremely obvious that a move or two may be fairly imminent.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the San Jose Sharks were one of several teams interested in Leafs forward Nick Robertson.

In addition, reports have indicated that Robertson wasn't the only name being actively shopped around. David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok are also on the chopping block in Toronto.

The reason why we should expect the team to finally pull off at least one trade this week is due to the fact that if they don't, they could lose one or more of these players on waivers, and not receive anything in return for assets that may help another team.

With October 8th fast approaching, teams will need to finalize their rosters a day or two beforehand, putting the organization on the clock to become roster compliant.

While the team is away, this will give Treliving some time to really sit with his thoughts and ponder any offers he may have received.

Per a report from The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta, the Leafs are not looking for players or prospects in exchange for any of Robertson, Kampf or Jarnkrok. Instead, they're looking for draft picks as compensation.

The Leafs are set to play their 2nd last pre-season game on Thursday, and their final pre-season game two nights later on October 4th. I'd imagine that if we don't see a move prior to either of these games, we'll see one occur immediately following as the team looks to announce the official opening night roster.