PUBLICATION
TJ Tucker
November 14, 2025Â Â (3:58 PM)
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Insider Elliotte Friedman says the Maple Leafs will have to pay a ‘tax’ on any trade for Rasmus Andersson due to GM Brad Treliving and his history with the Flames.
Amid a four-game losing streak, and calls from fans and analysts to bolster their lineup, speculation mounted this week that Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving was ready to make a deal.
The name that came up most as a strong possibility was defenceman Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames. So far, no trade has come to fruition, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman says a trade with the Flames puts Treliving and the Maple Leafs in a tough spot.
Maple Leafs Would Have to Pay a “Tax” in Any Trade with Flames
During a recent edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Friedman explained that Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving would essentially have to overpay in a trade for Andersson as ownership won’t let the Leafs have him for the same price as he might be available to anyone else.
Treliving was GM in Calgary before being hired in Toronto. In public, it was stated that Treliving and the Flames had come to a mutual agreement not to sign a new contract. He signed with the Maple Leafs shortly thereafter. Friedman says it’s not necessarily Flames GM Craig Conroy that’s the issue, but the club’s ownership group who holds a grudge.
While the Andersson trade speculation seems to have some legs, there are other barriers Treliving has to get over besides being subject to what appears to be a punitive measure from the Flames.
The cupboard is just about bare when it comes to prospects, meaning the Leafs should hang on to the couple quality prospects that they do have. There’s also the issue of not having roster players of any big value other than the ones that shouldn’t be shipped out.
While everyone is clamouring for a solution to the Maple Leafs’ recent woes, a trade for the sake of making a trade really doesn’t seem like a great idea. Having to overpay for it sounds even worse. Maybe Treliving should sit this one out.
Previously on Maple Leafs Daily