Maple Leafs nearly pulled off a huge trade that failed and now it's too late

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Daniel Lucente
November 13, 2024 (6:17 PM)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs came ever so close to pulling off a huge trade that ultimately fell through, and now it may be too late for it to ever happen again.

The Toronto Maple Leafs missed the chance to grab seasoned center Lars Eller, who would have fit nicely with the team.

On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Penguins traded Eller to the Washington Capitals for a third-round pick in 2025 and a fifth-round pick in 2027.

The Leafs had reportedly identified Eller as one of their top targets in their search for center depth, but despite his wealth of experience, 16-season veteran, Stanley Cup champion, and a player with more than 400 points in more than 1,000 NHL games, the Leafs didn't land him.

The Capitals locked him up for very cheap, which makes it a bit of an unfortunate miss for Toronto.

In that sense, the Leafs will have to pivot and take a look at other options that could be available to them via trade.

One such player is Yanni Gourde of the Seattle Kraken. Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli recently mentioned that Seattle could have too many forwards this season and might move one out, potentially Gourde, who could bring in the depth up front that the Leafs bottom-six forwards have been missing.

Gourde is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2025, bringing upwards of proven value with back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2020 and 2021 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

His 5.7 million dollar cap hit means the Kraken would need to retain some salary or that the Leafs make roster moves to fit him in.

Another player that may be available for Toronto is Trent Frederic from the Boston Bruins.

He brings size and youthful promise, with a pretty slow start to this season. With a more palatable $2.3 million cap hit, Frederic could be an addition for a bargain if the Leafs can juggle the books properly via trades or roster moves.

Other names that have cropped up in trade rumors include Montreal's Christian Dvorak, but the historic rivalry between Toronto and Montreal could make things a bit more interesting.

In any case, having missed out on Eller, the Leafs are desperate for offense, and it certainly showed when they were beaten 3-0 by the Ottawa Senators.