The Toronto Maple Leafs have come out of the gate struggling in the 2025-26 season. While they are still in the hunt and there is plenty of time left for them to turn their season around, they seem to be struggling to find consistent offensive production, and the dominance that some fans expected hasn’t come whatsoever.
Obviously, losing Mitchell Marner in the offseason is a huge reason why they seem to have lost some production, but they are playing like a fringe playoff team and may need to make some changes.
At the time of this article, the Maple Leafs have a 9-10-3 record, giving them 21 points, and they sit last in the Eastern Conference.
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Another team, the Nashville Predators, are also struggling, but their situation is a bit different, as it seems as though they will remain committed to a retooling rather than hoping things work out and they bounce back. Instead, all speculation points to them being open to making trades and moving some of their players out.
In this article, we will take a look at three potential trade targets for the Maple Leafs from the Predators, if they commit to selling this season, and how they could find a way to pull them off.
Steven Stamkos
Let me be very clear about this: Steven Stamkos is not the player he once was, and he is not worth the $8 million cap hit the Predators are paying him. However, if the Predators were open to retaining some money over the three remaining years on his deal and weren’t looking for a monstrous return, Stamkos getting a fresh start with the team located close to where he grew up isn’t completely unrealistic.
Steven Stamkos, Nashville Predators (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
Stamkos only has four goals and one assist through 21 games this season, but he has had an incredible career, having won two Stanley Cups and putting up 1195 points through 1185 career games so far. The Maple Leafs would really have to get creative to bring him in, potentially trying to trade Max Domi, Nicholas Robertson, and Calle Jarnkrok to give them some cap space, but also having to move draft capital to the Predators.
It’s unlikely, but it’s definitely possible. Stamkos has been connected to the Maple Leafs previously, having been linked to them every time he was up for a new contract, and if they are looking for a veteran presence who has playoff experience and could elevate their bottom six, they could take the risk on him.
Nick Blankenburg
As someone who has been high on Nick Blankenburg since before he got his shot in the NHL, the idea of the Maple Leafs acquiring him to improve their defensive depth is exciting. He is an impressive right-shot defender who plays bigger than he actually is. At only 5-foot-9, 176 pounds, he plays the game with no fear, and could be a perfect cost-effective addition as a bottom-pairing defender.
Blankenburg, who is 27 years old, has scored one goal and added five assists for six points through 11 games this season. Through 126 career games, he has scored 11 goals and added 29 assists for 40 points.
He only has a $775,000 cap hit, so finding a way to make the money work wouldn’t be an issue. Realistically, moving a mid-round pick or a depth player in return should be enough to get a deal done. He has one year left on his current deal, so if he works out and is a good fit, they re-sign him. If not, they let him walk. It’s a low-risk, high-reward option for them.
Jonathan Marchessault
Jonathan Marchessault’s name has come up in trade speculation since his first few games after he signed a five-year deal with the Predators. The Predators were clearly struggling, and his affordable contract combined with his maintained offensive production made him a smart trade option for contending teams right away, and that remains true this season.
He has a $5,500,000 cap hit and is signed through the 2028-29 season, so, similar to Stamkos, the Maple Leafs would have to move enough money out to fit him into their roster.
This season, he has scored four goals and added two assists for six points through 18 games. Throughout his career, the forward has scored 255 goals and added 294 assists for 549 points through 734 games.
While all three of these players could come with risks, the Maple Leafs could look to shake things up and spend some assets in hopes of having a chance to make the playoffs. At this time, there haven’t been any official reports connecting the Maple Leafs to any of these three players, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they became available sometime soon.
As the 2025-26 season moves along, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from around the NHL and the hockey world.
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