Maple Leafs trade proposals? We respond to reader suggestions

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We put out the call last week for questions and comments to our Maple Leafs mailbag.

As it turned out, readers, you had some some things to say with the National Hockey League trade deadline looming on Friday at 3 p.m. ET.

After answering some of your questions on Tuesday, we now respond to some of your thoughts.

Comments have been edited for length and clarity. And thanks for taking the time to get in touch with us at the Toronto Sun.

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YOU SAY: What we need is a tough defenceman who can close out a game and maybe trade Morgan Rielly, who is a minus-20 (actually minus-15 before Wednesday) and other players that are not playing the right way to win in the playoffs. — Robert Lanigan

WE SAY: The Leafs have that defenceman in Chris Tanev and the club loves the shutdown capabilities that Tanev and Jake McCabe provide.

Rielly leads the Leafs defencemen in ice time. Not only is he not going anywhere, some of his best hockey came during the Stanley Cup playoffs two years ago. He needs to get back to that level.

As for “other players,” the Leafs as a whole are becoming playoff-ready under coach Craig Berube and, as such, are playing the right way to have post-season success.

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YOU SAY: It’s time to cash in on Auston Matthews. He’s not back to his normal performance. He could fetch two first-round picks and a top prospect. — Doug, Leafs fan since 1955

WE SAY: If the Leafs got to a point where they decided they were going to move on from Matthews — and they won’t — he would fetch a lot more than what you propose. At least one top-line NHL player would be included in any deal.

The Leafs captain of less than one year has a no-move clause. We can’t imagine a scenario where the Leafs would ask him to waive it.

And even when Matthews is not at the top of his game, he remains one of the top centres in the NHL.

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YOU SAY: I’m getting tired of the Leafs mortgaging their future at the trade deadline to bring in overpriced help to try to get them over the humps and bumps of the playoffs.

We need to create a plan for long-term, sustainable success through good drafting (especially in the later rounds), in-house player development and salary-cap flexibility.

We need to eliminate no-movement clauses in contracts and negotiate only limited no-trade agreements to help maintain roster flexibility.

— Dave Scott

WE SAY: Your first point would have more than a few readers nodding in agreement. How many times since 1967 have the Leafs gone on to win the Stanley Cup after trading prospects and/or picks for veterans at the deadline? Hint: The answer rhymes with hero.

It might not always appear so, but the Leafs try to plan for long-term success. But with the win-now attitude in the world of professional sports, especially for teams that consider themselves a contender, what happens in the short term takes priority.

No-movement clauses probably aren’t going anywhere, at least for the top players. If a team can use it as an incentive to perhaps convince a player to take less money, it will.

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YOU SAY: I believe Brad Treliving is gun-shy to make a trade after making those deplorable trades with Calgary and the job in Toronto is way over his head. The only way that the Leafs get out of this unbelievable playoff record of losing is firing Treliving and Brendan Shanahan. — Arthur Brose

WE SAY: Treliving’s hands were tied in the summer of 2022 when Matthew Tkachuk told the Flames he would not be signing an extension. At the time, getting Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar in a trade with Florida looked good for Calgary. It didn’t work out that way, certainly not in the case of Huberdeau.

Treliving isn’t over his head in Toronto and he’s not afraid to do what he thinks will improve the Leafs. The Leafs have become a better team, one that is more well-rounded, since Treliving was hired and definitely since the GM hired coach Craig Berube.

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YOU SAY: Let’s try to make the team younger if we’re going to send a load of draft picks or prospects the other way. So go for Dylan Cozens, Quinton Byfield, Trent Frederic or Trevor Zegras.

John Tavares is getting up there. Brayden Schenn would just be another Tavares.

Grab Lawson Crouse if he’s cheap, and/or Alex Tuch. Please get rid of David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok. Subtraction is addition.

Then sign Mitch Marner and wait for Sam Bennett (to become an unrestricted free agent) in the summer.

— John Hawley

WE SAY: Quite a few suggestions there. Frederic would have been a solid addition had the Boston Bruins not traded him to the Edmonton Oilers this week.

Schenn will be 34 when next season starts. Craig Berube loves him, though, and he would be a smart player to have for a long playoff run.

Crouse would look good in a Leafs uniform and, certainly, Tuch would as well. Treliving doesn’t have “a load” of picks or prospects to trade, though. He’s going to have to make careful decisions before Friday at 3 p.m.

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YOU SAY: Fraser Minten and a second- or third-round pick to Pittsburgh. The Leafs get defenceman Matt Grzelcyk and forward Kevin Hayes. Add centre David Kampf to make the cap numbers work. Playoff depth for Leafs (would be) a plus. Must-win in 2025! Cup is coming to Canada. Edmonton versus Toronto final. — Mario Kralj

WE SAY: We like your optimism regarding an all-Canadian final. The Oilers, though, need good goaltending and they’re not getting it right now.

Grzelcyk isn’t necessarily the kind of defenceman the Leafs are looking for. The Leafs are thought to be seeking a right-shot defenceman and Grzelcyk shoots left.

Not sure we’d want to include Minten in a trade that would land Grzelcyk and Hayes.

And Hayes doesn’t kill penalties in Pittsburgh. Kampf does in Toronto.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun