Maple Leafs get cheated on the trade market with latest report
It's tough to be Toronto sometimes...
The Toronto Maple Leafs were reportedly after goalie Jacob Markstrom before h ended getting traded by the Calgary Flames to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday. However, Toronto still seeks help in between the pipes and the new plan to go after another goaltending target might blow up in the Maple Leafs’ face.
In Boston, Jeremy Swayman has become the clear-cut starting goalie, who is a pending restricted free agent that will command a significant raise this summer. Reports therefore point at Linus Ullmark, who enters the last year of his deal at $5 million annually, to be traded this offseason to offer the Bruins some cap relief.
Many insiders, including Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun, can tell the Maple Leafs and general manager Brad Treliving would love to acquire Ullmark, who put up impressive numbers in 2023-24 with a .915 save percentage in 40 games after winning the Vezina Trophy the year prior. However, Koshan bluntly tells it like it is, the Maple Leafs have no chance of convincing the Bruins to move Ullmark to their playoff rival.
“Speaking of the Bruins, if they move goalie Linus Ullmark, the Ottawa Senators could be the landing spot. We can’t see the Bruins seriously considering the Leafs to be a trading partner, not with the recent playoff history between the two teams.”
The Senators are indeed pushing hard for Ullmark and are better positioned than Toronto to land the netminder.
GM Treliving might have to focus on other goalie candidates in Juuse Saros in Nashville despite rumours of a possible contract extension with the Predators.
