The Toronto Maple Leafs must figure out how to clear up some cap space. Kyle Dubas left the team with plenty of question marks after his tenure as general manager, as the top-heavy nature of their contracts has put them in a difficult spot with their depth. Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and William Nylander all make north of $10 million per year. Morgan Reilly isn't far behind at $7.5 million. All these contracts leave them with $18 million in cap space this season and a need to add a starting goaltender and 3-4 NHL-ready defensemen. The journey to filling out their depth could start with a Marner trade, as $11 million freed up would make space for possibly a goaltender and above-average defenseman. The Leafs could try to add a goaltender in exchange for Marner, but if not, the Islanders could be a good trade partner.

The Maple Leafs' experiment with the “core four” has been a disaster thus far. They've made it past the first round one time, in 2022-23, but regressed to another first-round exit in 2023-24. Goaltending and defense were their undoing, but it didn't help that Marner played some of his worst hockey as a Leaf in the series against the Boston Bruins. Marner's performance looks to have made him the scapegoat for Leafs Nation, but trading him could be tricky. Marner holds all the power with a no-trade clause, and the Islanders may not be the best destination. If Lou Lamoriello can convince Marner to reunite on Long Island, he'd be the scoring threat the Islanders desperately need.

Maple Leafs land a stud defenseman

The Islanders are the inverse of the Maple Leafs, as they have a plethora of stud defensemen but a lack of scoring depth. It isn't terrible to go heavy on defense and toughness, as we've seen many of the league's leading scorers fall in this year's playoffs. However, even the Panthers have a 50-goal scorer and some good offensive pieces. The Islanders have some talent, like Mat Barzal, Brock Nelson, and a stud offensive defenseman, Noah Dobson. Marner would be the perfect addition for the Islanders, as they'd land a player with a 100+ point upside. Getting away from the bright lights of Toronto would also help Marner, as his confidence has dropped under constant media and fan scrutiny.

The Islanders have a solid top-four of Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech, Noah Dobson, and Alexander Romanov. They also have Samuel Bolduc knocking on the door for more minutes and Calle Odelius in the pipeline. The Islanders don't have a lot of places to go, and a Mitch Marner trade to help their offensive depth and hurt their defensive depth could be a lateral move, but they need something to shake it up. New York has been in a constant average state, where they aren't good enough to make a Cup Final run but also not bad enough to get a top-ten pick. The unfortunate circumstances have left them with one of the worst prospect pools in the NHL.

Here is the proposed trade to acquire Mitch Marner:

Leafs receive: Ryan Pulock, 2025 1st-Round Pick

Islanders receive: Mitch Marner

Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner (16) skates with the puck against the New York Islanders during the first period at UBS Arena
© Thomas Salus-USA TODAY Sports

The Maple Leafs don't have a first-round pick in 2025, so a Marner trade could help get them back into that. The Islanders' pick could turn out well for them if there are no conditions on it, as there's no guarantee that New York will be a top team. The return for the Maple Leafs isn't the greatest, so they'd likely ensure that this first-round pick had no conditions. The Maple Leafs would be happy with Ryan Pulock or Adam Pelech, but their most prominent need is the right side. The Leafs only have Conor Timmins under contract as a right-shot defenseman and Jake McCabe, a lefty who can play the right side. They could re-sign Timothy Liljegren as a restricted free agent, but they can't go into the season with Timmins and Liljegren in their top four.

Ryan Pulock isn't the greatest return for Marner, even after adding the first-round pick. The issue is that the Islanders don't have much young talent on their roster that could enter the Leafs' lineup, and their prospect pool is one of the worst. They can't afford to give up any of their top-five prospects. A trade with the Islanders would be a last resort for the Leafs, as it offers the least amount of upside, but it's likely better to get something in return for Marner if he's going to walk in free agency next summer.