It’s easy to get pulled into the shiny part of a trade idea before asking the one question that matters: does this actually make sense for the Maple Leafs?
That’s the issue here with Simon Edvinsson. He’s a young, big, mobile defenceman with NHL experience, and if Detroit were really open to moving him, Toronto would have every reason to kick the tires. But once Ben Danford’s name starts getting attached to the price, the conversation changes fast.
Danford is a prospect, so naturally he belongs in trade talk. No one should treat every young player like he’s untouchable.
Still, there’s a big difference between saying he might be included and saying he should be included. If Toronto gives up Danford, what exactly are they getting back?
What does Edvinsson bring that the Maple Leafs don’t already have? Where does he fit?
And is that fit good enough to justify adding a first-round pick and maybe a roster player on top of it?
That’s where the Fraser Minten comparison hits. Leafs fans have seen this movie before.
A prospect gets tagged as tradeable, the incoming player sounds exciting, and the cost starts to feel like an afterthought. Then the deal gets done, and everyone starts wondering if Toronto gave away too much, or if the player they moved might have helped later.
Maybe Danford does get moved someday. Maybe the Maple Leafs are more willing than it looks to mortgage some of the future for help now.
If that’s the case, Edvinsson might be worth the swing. But this idea seems to jump from “Edvinsson might prefer a trade” to “the Leafs should pounce” without proving Detroit is actually ready to deal or that this package makes sense.
Trade proposals are fun. I’ve started thinking of some of these as Trade Mad Libs.
Plug in a good player, add a prospect, a first-round pick, maybe a roster player, and keep filling in the blanks until it looks like a deal. The tougher part is making the case for why Toronto should do it, and what they’d be sacrificing to get there.
That’s the part I haven’t seen yet.
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What made the day stand out even before the puck dropped was McKenna showing up for the optional morning skate, a small detail that did not go unnoticed by fans or media around the team. Auston Matthews even suggested McKenna could be in line for more after getting that first one, and for a player still settling into his NHL footing, that kind of confidence can matter as much as the box score. [Read more 🡒]