Trade Idea Sees Maple Leafs Acquiring $13M Star Forward in Blockbuster

 
Getty

Maple Leafs land Martin Necas in trade pitch.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in need of a top-six forward, and one trade idea has them landing a star winger in a multi-player blockbuster.

Heavy.com proposed a deal that would see the Maple Leafs acquire Martin Necas from the Colorado Avalanche.

Maple Leafs acquire:

Martin Necas
Avalanche acquire:

Morgan Rielly
Ben Danford
Nick Robertson
The proposed deal would be a blockbuster as Toronto would get a legit first-line forward. Colorado, meanwhile, would get an NHL defenseman, a top prospect, and an NHL forward. The deal would hinge on Rielly waiving his no-trade clause to go to the Avs, but the Maple Leafs would also get off his contract.

Toronto would acquire Necas, who is entering the final year of his two-year, $13 million deal. Necas could play on the top line and replace Mitch Marner, and add some more offense to the Maple Leafs’ lineup. He recorded 27 goals and 56 assists for 83 points last season between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Avalanche.

Colorado would acquire Rielly, who can help add some offense to the Avalanche’s backend. He has five years left on his eight-year, $60 million deal. Rielly’s play has taken a step back, as the Maple Leafs could look to move him. He recorded 7 goals and 34 assists for 41 points in 81 games.

The Maple Leafs would also trade Danford, whom they took in the first round in the 2024 NHL Draft. The defenseman is likely a couple of years away from playing in the NHL.

Colorado would acquire Robertson, who’s an RFA forward and requested a trade from the Maple Leafs a year ago. He was scratched again throughout the playoffs, and it could be in both parties’ interest to move on. Robertson would be a third-line forward for Colorado.

 
Avalanche Shopping Necas
Despite acquiring Necas in the Mikko Rantanen trade, his stay with Colorado could be short-lived.

NHL insider Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet lists Necas as a trade candidate, as he reports the forward was unhappy with his role with the Avalanche.

“Before that trade, Necas only signed a short-term deal with Carolina when the two sides couldn’t agree on his long-term value, meaning he has one season left making $6.5 million against the cap, after which he could test the waters as a UFA,” Kypreos wrote.

“After the Avalanche moved Rantanen because of how difficult they perceived contract extension talks to be going, how much patience will they have with Necas — not a homegrown player or superstar talent — if negotiations on an extension start slowly this July? There was a sense Necas wasn’t overly thrilled with his experience in Colorado and that he wants to explore other options,” Kypreos added.

Necas is a solid top-six forward who several teams will be interested in, which should allow the Avalanche to be able to get a good return for him.

 
Maple Leafs Have a Need for Another Top-Line Forward
Trading for Necas makes sense for the Maple Leafs as Toronto needs another offensive weapon.

After losing Marner, Toronto hasn’t traded or signed for someone to replace him. With that, Maple Leafs’ GM Brad Treliving said adding a top-six winger is key.

“Mitch was a top-six forward, and we haven’t replaced that hole,” Treliving said. “That’s really where our focus is.”

Necas could be a perfect replacement for Marner by playing with Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews on the top line.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton