The Toronto Maple Leafs are in its Stanley Cup window and a trade pitch has them acquiring a superstar to bolster its roster.
The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs acquiring Evgeni Malkin from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In a proposed trade scenario, the Toronto Maple Leafs would acquire future Hall of Famer Evgeni Malkin from the Pittsburgh Penguins, with Pittsburgh retaining $1.6 million of his salary. The Leafs would send over promising prospects Nick Robertson and Topi Niemela, along with three draft picks: Florida’s 2025 second-round pick, Edmonton’s 2025 third-round pick, and a 2026 third-round pick.
Malkin, now in the third year of a four-year, $24.4 million contract, has been instrumental in the Penguins’ championship successes in 2009, 2016, and 2017. With 1,312 career points over 1,159 games, he would bring significant offensive power to Toronto’s top six. The Maple Leafs would also gain valuable experience and added insurance in case of free-agency departures for Mitch Marner and John Tavares this summer.
In return, Pittsburgh would receive Robertson and Niemela, both drafted by former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, now with the Penguins. Robertson offers offensive potential to help fill Malkin’s absence, while Niemela could address Pittsburgh’s ongoing blue line struggles.
Though Malkin has expressed a strong desire to stay in Pittsburgh, calling it his “second home,” his team’s recent struggles and missed playoff appearances have led to trade talks resurfacing. Meanwhile, Robertson, who requested a trade earlier this offseason, could benefit from a fresh start as he’s been in and out of the Leafs’ lineup.
This blockbuster trade could provide both teams with crucial pieces to strengthen their rosters moving forward.
