Elliotte Friedman hints at major Leafs move

With the upcoming National Hockey League Trade Deadline only a few weeks away, attention in Ontario is turning toward Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving and whether or not he plans on adding reinforcements in an effort to have his club build on their first playoff series victory in 19 years last season. 

They've been linked to both Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev of the Calgary Flames, and while the Leafs apparently would rather hold on to the few high draft picks that they still own, that could change if the return were a quality defenseman like one of the pair of aforementioned players. 

In his latest "32 Thoughts" column, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman wrote that Treliving could consider parting ways with their 1st round draft selection. 

"One exception [to trading their 1st round pick] may be Toronto. If the Maple Leafs trade this year's first, they will have one pick in the top two rounds of the next three drafts (a first-rounder in 2026). It's not impossible they decide to move it, but they definitely prefer the opposite and aren't interested in moving Easton Cowan, Matthew Knies or Fraser Minten (their most asked-about youth)."

"One case where I do believe they would have done so is if they had acquired both Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov, as they tried before the latter's move to the Lions Gate Bridge. There's no doubt in my mind the Maple Leafs want Tanev, but Calgary is holding to see if that first-rounder comes into play. It's poker, but if Toronto really wanted to do that, it would be done already. We will see. He would help them, and they know it. (Maybe Toronto solves this by trying to trade for both Tanev and Noah Hanifin.) They are looking for another centre, as well." - Friedman on the Leafs perhaps going after Tanev and Hanifin in the same deal."

The NHL Trade Deadline is March 8. What will Treliving have up his sleeve? 

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