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If the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to add the trade piece they believe they need to get them over the hump this season, they’ll have to give to get it. That said, as of right now, it doesn’t appear GM Brad Treliving is willing to give all that much. His unwillingness to move anything of real value has frustrated teams the Leafs are talking to. It will be interesting to see who budges first.
The Maple Leafs are actively exploring the trade market in search of defensive reinforcements. However, Treliving is adamant about excluding two of the team’s promising prospects, Easton Cowen and Fraser Minten, from any trade offers. Analyst Anthony Di Marco from The Fourth Period suggests that Toronto is reluctant to part ways with these two forwards, especially when aiming to strengthen their defensive lineup. He writes, “Prospect forwards Easton Cowen and Frazer Minten were described to me as “non-starters” for the Leafs. The coy approach of Toronto has left more than one team a little frustrated with trade talks.”
Sources indicate the Leafs expressed interest in not only Nikita Zadorov but also Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames. There’s a belief that Calgary would have needed to retain salary for both players to facilitate a deal. According to insider Elliotte Friedman, Tanev remains a primary target for Toronto, and there’s optimism that Treliving can secure a contract extension with the player. The consensus is that the Leafs are holding off on pursuing other defensemen until the Tanev option is no longer viable.
Apart from their interest in Flames defensemen, the Maple Leafs have also been monitoring Philadelphia Flyers blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen. Discussions with the Flyers took place last Wednesday, but as of now, talks have not progressed. Toronto has reservations about Ristolainen’s three-year term beyond the current season and has communicated the need for salary retention from the Flyers.
How Much are the Maple Leafs Willing to Give?
It makes sense that Toronto isn’t wanting to trade either of Easton Cowan or Fraser Minten. Both players just made the Canadian World Juniors team and they are highly regarded as two of the Leafs' best prospects. Calling them “non-starters” in trade discussions is interesting considering Toronto’s needs. As such, it’s understandable that teams trying to make trades are frustrated.
Multiple league executives have noted that Treliving has yet to show his hand. What he’s willing to pay for a defenseman is unclear. Part of that could be Toronto’s lack of picks. But, despite limited assets, Toronto is hesitant to part with valuable pieces. Pierre LeBrun suggests that the Leafs might consider offering their June first-round pick to expedite a Tanev trade.
More must-reads:
- Potential asking price revealed for top Maple Leafs trade target
- The Maple Leafs should consider moving on from Ilya Samsonov
- The '1961-64 Toronto Maple Leafs' quiz
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Bruins Still Exploring Trade Market For Pavel Zacha
The Bruins are still mulling the possibility of trading forward Pavel Zacha, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. He lists the Canucks and Mammoth as teams that’ve been softly linked to his availability. Boston GM Don Sweeney considered moving Zacha during their sell-off at last season’s trade deadline but ended up holding onto him, choosing to flip Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle, and Brad Marchand for assets instead. If they do decide to go that route, the type of return they’re looking for will speak volumes about the team’s expectations for 2025-26. They’re already light on offensive firepower, with Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak remaining as their lone 30-goal scorers from last season and veteran Viktor Arvidsson, coming off a down season with the Oilers, amounting to their only offseason addition that could impact their top six forward group. The teams mentioned, Vancouver and Utah, likely wouldn’t be looking to pick up Zacha and flip roster players back – particularly the former as they continue to search for additional middle-six center depth. If those discussions have gained any legitimacy in the Bruins’ front office, it’s fair to wonder if they’ve resigned themselves to another season of retooling and are prepared to again finish near the bottom of the Atlantic Division. They’re not unlimited in what they can do with Zacha, although they have slightly more flexibility after his 10-team no-trade list decreased to an eight-team one on July 1. The 28-year-old, who’s flipped between center and wing throughout his NHL career, has two years left on his contract at a $4.75MM cap hit. However, he’s only owed $3.75MM in actual cash for both 2025-26 and 2026-27 after the Bruins paid out his final signing bonus, worth $1MM, at the beginning of the month. Zacha’s offensive production took a step back in 2024-25, as did many of his teammates’ aside from the aforementioned Geekie and Pastrnak. After back-to-back seasons of 20 goals and 50 points, he was limited to 14 goals and 47 points while playing in all 82 games. There were some things to like – he averaged a career-high 19:04 per game, won 53.2% of his draws, and continued to have positive possession impacts. Still, he was likely looking for more production, considering he spent the vast majority of the campaign stapled at center between Boston’s two leading goal-scorers. Nonetheless, the 2015 No. 6 overall pick has averaged 54 points per 82 games over his three years in Boston without an overwhelming amount of year-to-year variation. His trade value likely won’t get any higher than it is now, with two full years left under contract at a reasonable price tag for whoever picks him up.
Yankees Traded Flourishing Infielder for Struggling Closer
The New York Yankees have made their 2025 goals abundantly clear: They're trying to return to the World Series and win it all. In an effort to do so, the Pinstripes traded pitcher Nestor Cortes and infielder Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers this season, adding closer Devin Williams to the roster. Halfway into the season, it looks like that was a big mistake. The Yankees are now looking to fill gaps in the both the bullpen and the infield before the MLB trade deadline rolls around at the end of the month. Utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera was great at third base, but suffered a potentially season-ending injury in May. The Yankees tried to compensate by shifting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third, but it was clear Chisholm excels at second, and he's since been moved back. Durbin, on the other hand, has only gotten better in Milwaukee. "Over 75 games this season, Durbin is slashing .265/.350/.382 with five homers and elite contact skills at the plate," Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media wrote. "He ranks in the 95th percentile in whiff rate and 98th in strikeout rate — rare company for a young infielder. Durbin’s advanced plate discipline would’ve been invaluable in a Yankees lineup that too often leans on boom-or-bust approaches." Then there's Devin Williams, who has been part of a shaky-at-best Yankees bullpen. He has certainly seen improvement since the beginning of the season, when he was pulled from closing duties after a blown save to the Yankees' division rival Toronto Blue Jays. However, it hasn't been quite enough. Toronto swept New York in a four game series earlier this month, securing their lead of the AL east over the Pinstripes. Williams pitched the final inning, giving up two earned runs. He has a 4.82 ERA over 37.1 innings pitched in 41 games. Williams keeps improving, and hopefully will prove that the Yankees made the right choice by acquiring him. However, that still doesn't fill the gaping hole New York has at third base, and they're likely missing Durbin's consistent abilities in the field and at the plate. The Yankees have until the July 31 MLB trade deadline to make any trades to address these issues. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Cam Schlittler is Not Yankees Paul Skenes Yankees Fighting Red Sox for Diamondbacks Pitchers Yankees’ Aaron Judge Ties Alex Rodriguez on All-Time List Braves Troll Yankees' Jazz Chisholm With Walk-Up Song Yankees in Trade Talks With Pirates
Steelers Teammates Are Noticing Great Differences From Aaron Rodgers: 'A Guy That's Bought In'
The Pittsburgh Steelers have an interesting quarterback situation that has been monitored by NFL fans throughout the 2025 offseason. The organization was in pursuit of four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers for over three months, and the quarterback finally signed a one-year deal. He was then in Pittsburgh for mandatory minicamp. He is the unquestioned starter heading into the 2025 season, and he is coming off of a quietly good season with the New York Jets in 2024 statistically. He was bouncing back from a serious injury, so it should be expected for him to play even better in 2025. Rodgers got better as the 2024 season went along after missing all of 2023, and he is now further removed from his Achilles injury. He has a decent amount of weapons on Pittsburgh's offense, and the team is expected to rely on its run game and defense once again. Rodgers won't be asked to do too much, which should be a recipe for success for the 41-year old quarterback. Will Howard spoke to the media in Latrobe, PA on Thursday morning, and he had nothing but great things to say about the starting quarterback for Pittsburgh. The 41-year old has been heavily criticized in the media in the past for being a bad teammate, but every report that has come out of Pittsburgh has suggested otherwise. Rodgers has already expressed his willingness to mentor Howard and show him the ropes as he goes through his rookie season, which is something that has gotten a lot of the fan base in Pittsburgh excited about the addition of Rodgers. Rodgers has always been misunderstood throughout his career. He has been blamed for countless things that simply weren't his fault. It seemed that everything that went wrong with the Jets was somehow because of the quarterback, despite the fact that the Jets organization has been one of the worst in all of sports over the last decade or so. The fan base in Pittsburgh was frustrated with the way Rodgers handled his free agency, as he seemed to drag out his signing with Pittsburgh. The quarterback said he was dealing with some things in his personal life that made him want to take his time, which some fans took issue with. After these new comments from Howard, the fans should completely flip in their opinions on Rodgers. He is approaching this job with the Steelers in a positive manner, he is bought in, and he is helping the younger guys on the roster. Steelers’ Offense Has A Chance To Be The Best Its Been With Aaron Rodgers The offense in Pittsburgh has been inconsistent, and sometimes absolutely stagnant in recent years. The run game has fallen apart at times, and the quarterback play has been abysmal on occasion. That shouldn't be the case in 2025, as Rodgers' experience and talent should be able to take the unit to the next level, especially if the offensive line can take a step forward. This will open up the run game, which will only help the offense as a whole. Rodgers will have an absolute animal to throw to on the outside in DK Metcalf, as well as some speedsters in Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. Pittsburgh also rosters one of the best tight end rooms in the league with Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, and Darnell Washington. Rodgers will be able to end his career on a high note with these weapons, and the near-decade long draught of playoff success could come to a close.
New York Knicks Predicted to Trade Karl-Anthony Towns For Dallas Mavericks Star
The New York Knicks have had a busy summer thus far as they have made multiple additions to their roster to try and improve off their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Of course, the Knicks also made a head coaching change to begin the summer as they fried Tom Thibodeau and replaced him with two-time Coach of the Year winner Mike Brown. During free agency, New York added Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to upgrade their bench at a cheap cost, which is an area that they struggled with last season. The Knicks do have one more roster spot open which they will likely use to add another veteran player to their bench. While the Knicks have focused on upgrading their depth this summer, Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell recently created a mock trade that would see New York send Karl-Anthony Towns to the Dallas Mavericks for one of their star players along with depth. In the trade, the Knicks would acquire Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington from the Mavericks while Dallas would land Towns and Vit Krejci. The Atlanta Hawks are the third team involved in the trade and they would receive Caleb Martin and two second-round picks from the Mavericks. For the Knicks, it would be a tough decision to move on from Towns but they would be able to fill some glaring holes in their roster with their return in this deal. Thompson would give them a much-needed three-point sharpshooter in their starting lineup while both Washington and Gafford would be major additions to their frontcourt, especially on the defensive end. Despite this, the Mavericks may not want to move on from three of their key players to acquire Towns, who struggled in the playoffs last season, primarily on defense. While that may be the case, making this trade would be a massive upgrade to the Knicks’ lineup and depth that could make them the team to beat in the Eastern Conference next season.
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