Trade pitch has Maple Leafs acquiring William Karlsson.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are likely to lose Mitch Marner in free agency, and one trade pitch has them adding some offense to help replace him.
The website PuckPedia’s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs acquire William Karlsson from the Vegas Golden Knights.
Maple Leafs acquire:
- William Karlsson
Golden Knights acquire:
- David Kampf
- 2027 second-round pick
- 2025 third-round pick (Colorado)
The proposed deal would be an intriguing one and one that makes sense for both sides. Toronto gets a legit top-six forward who can help replace the offense of Marner, while Vegas creates cap space to try and sign Marner in free agency.
Toronto would acquire Karlsson, who has two years left on his eight-year, $47.2 million deal. The 32-year-old can be Toronto’s second-line center, which is a major need for Toronto this offseason. Karlsson would also add some more secondary scoring to the roster, which is key. Karlsson recorded 9 goals and 20 assists for 29 points in 53 games, but his career-high is 78 points.
In return, the Maple Leafs would give up two draft picks and a depth center. Kampf could be Vegas’ third or fourth-line center, who is a solid defensive player. But, this trade for Vegas is more about clearing cap space so they can afford signing Marner in free agency. Kampf has two years left on his four-year, $9.6 million deal.
Marner Interested in Signing With Golden Knights
Although Marner isn’t part of the trade, he technically is, as it would give Vegas the cap space to sign the star forward. Toronto, meanwhile, would get a solid second-line center in return for Marner.
NHL insider Pierre LeBrun revealed that Marner has an interest in signing with the Golden Knights and Florida Panthers come July 1.
“I think a lot of the usual suspects for Marner. Teams like Anaheim and Detroit, and Chicago will want to get in on it,” LeBrun said on TSN 1050’s OverDrive. “I think Marner himself, if he goes to market, which I think is likely, will probably look at the usual suspects. Florida, Vegas, all the teams that we always end up keen on. Where players seem to love to go.”
Marner would add another star offensive player to Vegas’ lineup and make the Golden Knights one of the best teams in the NHL.
Maple Leafs CEO Puts Trust into GM & Coach
Toronto had another early playoff exit, and the Maple Leafs opted to move on from President Brendan Shanahan.
Entering a pivotal offseason, Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley put his full trust in general manager Brad Treliving and coach Craig Berube to build a winning team.
“I’m confident in Brad. I’m confident in Craig. I am confident in the resources that we have,” Pelley said. “But I do believe that we as the custodians of the biggest hockey brand in the world have a responsibility to our fans — and that responsibility is winning championships. And we will do everything we possibly can and will not stop until we reach that goal.”
The Maple Leafs enter the pivotal offseason with Marner and John Tavares as pending UFAs, while Matthew Knies is an RFA.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
