The Toronto Maple Leafs’ offense has had a rough start to the season, leading to speculation about a potential trade to acquire a star forward.
Using the PuckGM tool on PuckPedia, one user suggested a trade that would bring forward to the Maple Leafs in a multi-player deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Maple Leafs acquire:
Bryan Rust ($625k retained)
Drew O’Connor
Penguins acquire:
Nick Robertson
David Kampf
William Villeneuve
The proposed trade makes sense for the Maple Leafs, as it would bring in two impactful NHL players to boost their chances of winning now. For the Penguins, it represents a shift toward rebuilding with younger talent, as they likely see their Stanley Cup window closing.
Bryan Rust, currently in the third year of a six-year, $30.75 million contract, was instrumental in the Penguins’ back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017. He could slot into Toronto’s top six, enhancing their scoring potential; last season, he notched 28 goals and 28 assists for 56 points in 62 games.
Alex O’Connor could fill a bottom-six role for the Maple Leafs, addressing their scoring issues in that area. He is in the second year of a two-year, $1.85 million contract.
For the Penguins, the key asset in the trade would be Nick Robertson, a player selected by current Penguins GM Kyle Dubas. Robertson had requested a trade during the offseason but ultimately signed a one-year deal.
David Kampf, also included in the deal, is in the second year of a four-year, $9.6 million contract and could provide valuable bottom-six depth and defensive skills for Pittsburgh.
Lastly, defenseman Simon Villeneuve, drafted in the fourth round in 2020, is currently playing in the AHL and has the potential to develop into a fifth or sixth defenseman at the NHL level.
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