Maple Leafs received harsh response to effort to trade for defenseman

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Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly received harsh response to trade inquiry about star defenseman

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Mar 5, 2025 4:31 PM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs are pushing for blue-line help, but according to a report, one team told them to lose their number after several trade attempts.

The 2025 trade deadline is just a few days away, and after a red-hot start to the 2024-25 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs appear to be pushing for a major addition on the blue line.

There aren't many options out there, but according to reports, general manager Brad Treliving has zeroed in on Seattle's Adam Larsson, who would be an incredible addition for the Maple Leafs.

Unfortunately for Toronto, it doesn't appear that GM Ron Francis has any intentions of moving Larsson, as his reported reaction to Toronto's constant calls reveals just how little he wants to deal him.

In 61 games this season, the 32-year-old Larsson has tallied three goals and 15 points alongside a +7 differential on a very bad Kraken tea,. With his incredible size (6-foot-3, 207 pounds), he'd be a perfect shutdown defenseman alongside the offensive-minded Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Larsson's current deal will pay him $5.25 million a year over the next three seasons following 2024-25, and with the salary cap set to rise, he would be the perfect veteran for so many Stanley Cup contenders this season.

Ultimately, it's unclear if Seattle are just trying to play hardball and get teams like Toronto to up their offers, because at this point they clearly aren't going to contend anytime soon, so keep a close eye on this one as teams look to pry the veteran out of Seattle.

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

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