NHL Trade Rumors: Maple Leafs Open To Trade Veteran Defencemen
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka has been working the phones for weeks, trying to land a top-pair defenceman for Darren Raddysh. So far, no deal has materialized, but the interesting part is that Chayka is open to moving just about anyone off his roster to facilitate this trade, including veteran defencemen, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Morgan Rielly, and Jake McCabe.
Chayka is dealing with a serious cap crunch, as the Leafs have to deal from a money-in and money-out perspective, as they don't have much for cap space this season, or next. Chayka's already moved Matthew Knies, in what's looking like a very smart trade, and now, after months of talks, Rielly could finally be on the move, and open to waiving his no-movement clause.
There's been a lot of talks about a potential deal to the Vancouver Canucks for Filip Hronek, but so far talks haven't advanced. There's also been a lot of chatter about the Leafs being interested in Roman Josi from the Nashville Predators, and Simon Edvinsson from the Detroit Red Wings, but in the latter, the Leafs would likely have to move Easton Cowan, and that's something Chayka hasn't jumped on board with quite yet.
Could another blockbuster trade be on the horizon for the Maple Leafs? 👀 Jeff Marek and Dave Pagnotta discuss Toronto's pursuit of a long-term upgrade on defence and what a potential deal could mean for Morgan Rielly and Easton Cowan. Presented by @SIASport https://t.co/dRA6qRQ6yR
— The Sheet with Jeff Marek (@thesheethockey) October 31, 2026
McCabe and OEL both have trade protection as well, as McCabe owns a full no-trade clause this season, while OEL can block a trade to 16 teams throughout the league. Chayka has a couple of prospects in Ben Danford and Alexander Bilecki that teams are calling about, but he prefers to move out a couple of veterans for some younger blood, or more talent, like a Josi or Zach Werenski out of Columbus.
For now, the Leafs remain a very strong team, with serious holes on their blueline, so we'll have to wait and see what Chayka can cook up. He's active in trade talks, and another move could be coming from the Maple Leafs in the very near future.