Maple Leafs set to trade own player to sign Max Pacioretty!

For the past weeks now, it’s been rumoured that the Toronto Maple Leafs are interested in signing free agent forward Max Pacioretty and could looking to make moves in order to get him under the cap.

However, that means getting rid of one of their own defensemen, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.

“The Maple Leafs currently have slightly over $1.275 million in salary cap space but could free up an additional $1.1 million by trading defenceman Conor Timmins, or the team could place him on waivers and if he clears then send him down to the AHL.”

Pagnotta claims that general manager Brad Treliving could have included Timmins in his plans to create the cap room he needs to sign Pacioretty. The unrestricted free agent has not only been linked to the Maple Leafs, but also the Detroit Red Wings and potentially the Columbus Blue Jackets.

He is coming off a season where he played just 47 games and scored 19 points. The former Montreal Canadiens’ captain has been on a string of bad luck, dealing with many injuries that have teams across the league wary of signing him.

It might be a bad call by GM Treliving and the Maple Leafs to trade Timmins, who could be on the brink of a breakout season. After his draft, he faced a significant setback due to a concussion that sidelined him for the entire 2018-2019 campaign.

After many obstacles, Timmins was dealt to Toronto in late 2022, giving him a fresh start and offering the Maple Leafs the blend of size, skill, and composure needed for a boost on the back end.

At 25, he’s entering the prime of his career and has the potential to be a regular contributor on the Leafs’ roster… unless he gets moved to make room for another veteran in Pacioretty.

Stay tuned.