Trade Deadline Bombshell: Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Top Trade Partner Bails, Leaving Toronto Scrambling

The Toronto Maple Leafs are down yet another potential trade partner as news coming out of Columbus reveals the Blue Jackets are buyers ahead of the deadline.

With the trade deadline just under a month away, the Maple Leafs need to ensure they shore up their roster with some insurance, whether it be in the form of a third-line center or defensive help for Morgan Rielly.

They have no shortage of potential candidates and have been linked to names like Erik Karlsson and Brayden Schenn. But one team they won’t have as a partner is the Columbus Blue Jackets, as GM Don Waddell revealed on Columbus radio that he intends to make a push this season.

Blue Jackets are buyers, leaving Brad Treliving looking elsewhere

Columbus is currently only two points out of the first wild-card spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and if Waddell feels confident enough in his team to win, he’s not risking a potential underdog run.

Injuries are also a big concern for the team, and with Kirill Marchenko out for the next few weeks, Columbus needs to add if it wants to keep its playoff push alive.

It has added Dante Fabbro and Zach Aston-Reese off waivers, plus Daemon Hunt while trading away David Jiricek, and the team has been linked to former forward Oliver Bjorkstrand, so it is definitely looking to bring in assets.

That’s unfortunate news for Treliving. The team was linked to veteran center Sean Kuraly in recent weeks, and he could have been a solid pickup for the Leafs, but that seems extremely unlikely now.

Toronto could have even benefitted from adding former fan-favorite James van Riemsdyk to help create an even deeper and deadly lineup, at least in terms of the top six, and he wouldn’t be an expensive option, either (another caveat in the whole trade situation).

So it’s back to the drawing board for Treliving. The team needs to shift gears and focus on teams it knows it can draw from, such as the Seattle Kraken or Chicago Blackhawks, who have the assets needed at a fairly reasonable price.

Will the Maple Leafs end up making a rash decision and rush to make a trade or will they sit back and wait to pounce? Only time will tell … but time is running out.