Two weeks into July, with the free agent market all but empty of choices, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Rangers are in a similar situation as far as addressing the remaining needs on their squads for the 2024–25 campaign.
A true top-line right winger to play behind Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider is still needed by the Rangers. The Maple Leafs have a plenty of attackers but a shallow defense corps.
Coincidentally, both teams could be interested in moving a player that fits each other’s needs: right winger Mitch Marner of the Maple Leafs and right defenseman Jacob Trouba of the Rangers.
A Heavy Sports trade proposal would give New York the top-line forward they need in exchange for a defenseman that would slot nicely as a Leafs’ second-pair defenseman.
Rangers get:
– Mitch Marner
Maple Leafs get:
– Jacob Trouba
For this trade to happen, however, both players would need to accept the transaction. Marner has a full no-move clause baked into his contract. Meanwhile, Trouba has a 15-team no-trade list added to his contract, and he’d need to leave Toronto outside of it.
That said, both teams and players make for perfect salary and cap-space matches in the event of a trade. According to PuckPedia, a one-for-one trade would work for both franchises.
The Leafs would end up with $3.8 million in cap space and the Rangers would absorb the difference in the players’ salaries. New York has $5.1 million in cap space before completing the trade, more than enough to land Marner’s cap-hit difference.
Rangers Looking to Move On From Jacob Trouba
The Rangers asked Jacob Trouba for his 15-team no-trade list ahead of free agency, as reported by Arthur Staple of The Athletic on June 27.
The Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings had a trade “in the works” during the draft weekend, as reported by Larry Brooks of the New York Post on June 29.
