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Details of Failed One-For-One Maple Leafs Trade Leak Publicly

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jul 5, 2025 10:07 PM ET

JJ Peterka was traded West this off-season to Utah, but according to reports, it was almost the Toronto Maple Leafs that landed the star winger first, with a top NHL Insider reporting a shock deal that almost came to fruition.

The Toronto Maple Leafs were coming into this summer seeking an upgrade to fill the hole of a departing Mitch Marner, and early in the off-season, they had a big chance to do just that.

While they've since landed Matias Maccelli, who could take a huge step forward alongside Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews, the team have reportedly been in on trade chatter for several big names.

One of those names is a former division rival, as a report from Frank Seravalli has now revealed that the team were in on former Buffalo Sabres star JJ Peterka, who was ultimately traded to the Utah Mammoth in a shocking deal.

While Seravalli didn't 100% confirm that the deal would be one-for-one, he has revealed that the team were dangling Brandon Carlo for Peterka, trying to take advantage of Buffalo's desire to land a right shot defenseman.

They would end up getting Michael Kesselring to fill that role while Peterka signed an extension in Salt Lake City, and given the underwhelming return they ended up getting, it's safe to say that Maple Leafs fans believe they should have been the ones landing Peterka.

Ultimately though, that never came to fruition for one reason or another, and now the team will head into the season with the addition of Maccelli as their big summer move, and with some assets to use, they'll likely look to make an upgrade throughout the season at some point.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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