{"id":334313,"date":"2026-05-14T03:33:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T22:03:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=334313"},"modified":"2026-05-14T03:33:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T22:03:52","slug":"could-the-maple-leafs-trade-right-down-to-no-3-and-pleasing-auston-matthews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/14\/could-the-maple-leafs-trade-right-down-to-no-3-and-pleasing-auston-matthews\/","title":{"rendered":"Could the Maple Leafs Trade Right down to No. 3, and Pleasing Auston Matthews"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Could the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks swap first-round picks?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Sheet with Jeff Marek<\/strong><\/a>: David Pagnotta and Jeff Marek, discussing the Toronto Maple Leafs and their first overall pick. Could they trade down, to say, the Vancouver Canucks at No. 3? What do they sell to Auston Matthews to get him to wish to stay?<\/p>\n

Marek: \u201cThe Maple Leafs. , you may sell wins. You may sell hope. Straight away, you\u2019re selling hope for this team. And I actually do wonder, like, if Vancouver involves them with a package for the primary overall pick? They need the guy from the West.<\/p>\n

Possibly the Maple Leafs are Caleb Malhotra. Can drop all the way down to third. Could still get him. Premium position, center ice man, not a winger.<\/p>\n

Two Potential Oilers Trade Targets, and the Sharks No. 2 Pick<\/a><\/p>\n

But then I flip back to what you\u2019re talking about, and that’s, there’s, you realize, the greater, the greater good of the corporate, which isn\u2019t just all the time a hockey decision, it\u2019s also a marketing decision. And immediately the excellent news story is Gavin McKenna and first overall pick.<\/p>\n

But when it makes more sense to choose up assets and trade down and pick up a Caleb Malhotra at number three and flip with Vancouver, who makes that call?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pagnotta: \u201cAnd the way does that call then affect the captain\u2019s perception of their next, at the very least the following two years? There are lots of aspects which might be going to return into play here. Loads more balls are going to drop to this whole overall equation.<\/p>\n

, presumably, you\u2019re going to see the primary overall pick join their NHL club. There\u2019s the sell factor there from the marketability of it. There\u2019s the sell factor to your captain, that this might be who you play with.<\/p>\n

The draft will affect how they approach any trades that they make. Free agency. All of that. It\u2019s all roses, immediately, which have covered up the manure that was placed on it. It looks good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marek: \u201cIt’s in all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pagnotta: \u201cBut does it smell good, yet? I don\u2019t know. And, and the whole lot tied to Auston Matthews, and I do know there\u2019s reports on the market, I believe, I believe a number of the reporting has been a little bit misconstrued by the, by the general public. I believe the perception of the reporting has been sort of twisted a little bit bit publicly.<\/p>\n

I can let you know with, with all certainty that you realize, Auston desires to win in Toronto. Desires to be here, but when this team isn\u2019t primed and positioned, similar to Edmonton, in the event that they\u2019re not primed and positioned to try this now, why are we wasting everybody\u2019s time?<\/p>\n

NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs and Auston Matthews<\/a><\/p>\n

If by July fifteenth, they’ve McKenna. They\u2019ve rejigged the blue line, they\u2019re more mobile. They\u2019ve found a legitimate 3C. The fourth line\u2019s been fixed. They understand where their goaltending is. They feel they could be a team that may compete within the playoffs within the Atlantic. Then the whole lot is advantageous with Auston. But when none of those boxes get checked beyond the primary overall pick, then that\u2019s a distinct discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n

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