With the free agent market largely depleted two weeks into July, the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers find themselves in similar situations with their clubs’ remaining needs for the 2024-25 season.
The Rangers are still hunting for a top-line right winger to play alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. The Maple Leafs’ defense lacks depth, despite having a plethora of forwards.
Coincidentally, each team may be interested in moving a player who meets the other’s needs: right winger Mitch Marner of the Maple Leafs and right defenseman Jacob Trouba of the Rangers.
Heavy Sports’ trade idea swaps the two, giving New York the top-line forward they require in exchange for a defenseman who would fit well as the Leafs’ second-pair defenseman.
To make this trade happen, both participants must agree to the transaction. Marner’s contract includes a full no-move provision for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Meanwhile, Trouba has a 15-team no-trade list for the 2024 season, which would require him to leave Toronto.
However, both teams and players make ideal salary and cap-space matchups in the case of a trade. According to PuckPedia, a one-for-one transfer would benefit both franchises.
The Leafs would end up with $3.8 million in salary space, while the Rangers would absorb the difference in salaries. Before making the move, New York had $5.1 million in cap space, which was more than enough to cover Marner’s cap hit differential.