Leafs Nation has entered panic mode. The Toronto Maple Leafs are mired in a five-game losing streak, and are tied for last place in the Eastern Conference with the perennial also-rans, the Buffalo Sabres.
GM Brad Treliving is not sitting idly by, however, as word is that he is exploring all possibilities on the trade market. And pretty much everyone on the roster is open for discussion, aside from four untouchables.
The Leafs new ‘core four’ are untouchable in trade talks
Call it the new ‘Core Four’ if you will, but Insider Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast that no matter what you hear, don’t expect these four names to be involved:
People ask me, ‘Who do you think is the core?’ And I think it’s four guys. I think it’s (Auston) Matthews, I think it’s (William) Nylander, I think it’s (John) Tavares, and I think it’s (Matthew) Knies. Other than that, I think they’re looking around to see what’s out there… I think (those are) the four guys they’re not touching. At least for now. I think everybody else they’ll at least consider.
But what about Easton Cowan, is the next question that comes to mind. Would they even consider trading their current top prospect who has been getting his feet wet in the NHL this season?
You’ll remember that the Buds left the prospect cupboard even more bare last season by trading away first round picks and prospects Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin at the deadline. Given that, Friedman doesn’t think they’d go that route again—whether or not Cowan is in the so-called ‘core’ right now.
Leafs also not interested in mortgaging more of their future
”I don’t think they want to move Cowan… I don’t think that that’s what they wanna do. They wanna move roster-for-roster; player-for-player…
”They don’t want to make futures deals. And I consider Cowan, even though he is with the team right now, a futures deal. That’s not what they wanna do.”
The problem for the Leafs, of course, is who does that leave of any value to other teams? It’s a real dilemma for Treliving, which is why he’s scouring the league, asking his fellow GMs who they’d be interested in.
”Aside from those guys at the top, I think they’re asking about everybody,” added Friedman. “‘What’s this player’s value? What’s this player’s value? What can I do with this?’ It’s tense around there, and they feel it.”
The other complication is that Toronto’s first round pick in 2026 went to the Boston Bruins in the Minten deal. But it is top-five protected. That brings up another uncomfortable conversation, however. If the team is not bound for the playoffs, should they just tank the whole season?
“That’s a tough thing to have hanging over you,” the insider said.
Crazy times ahead for the Leafs over the next couple of months, if they don’t turn this season around quickly.
