Can the Toronto Maple Leafs take advantage of Vancouver Canucks chaos?

There’s an old adage when it comes to news stories around the NHL: one way or another, everything that happens is somehow actually about the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It’s a feeling mostly said in jest by either fans in other markets complaining about oversaturated media coverage around the Leafs, or Toronto fans trolling about the same phenomenon.

But sometimes, a news story seemingly far away might actually have implications for Toronto. For example, the latest NHL drama might be relevant to the self-named centre of the hockey universe.

As you may have heard, things with the Vancouver Canucks aren’t exactly rosy right now, with an ongoing locker room drama centred around forwards Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller making headlines seemingly every day.

And while some fans wrote the story off as baseless speculation, Canucks president confirmed the rift between the two star players in a series of interviews with Gary Mason in The Globe and Mail and Iain MacIntyre on Sportsnet on Tuesday.

The NHL trade deadline is 37 days away, with the Canucks having 12 games before then.

Vancouver carries a 40.2% shot at a playoff berth, per MoneyPuck. There’s an alright chance they make the postseason, but given the way the team has struggled to keep their head above water for much of the season, it’s hard to imagine the organization gearing up for a long playoff run at this point in time.

It seems inevitable that the Canucks will end up with a franchise-changing trade in the coming weeks, with another team possibly getting a star player for pennies on the dollar.

Miller, with 34 points in 39 games, and Pettersson, with 31 points in 43 games, are having far from their best years this season. But with Miller just one year removed from a 103-point campaign — and Pettersson two years from a 102-point-year — there’s a decent bet either player rebounds in a big way should they move on from Vancouver.

Pettersson’s monster cap hit of $11.6 million carrying him through the 2031-32 season likely spoils any trade for Toronto, unless they’d go rogue and flip one of Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, or William Nylander for him. Given that all three players are outproducing Pettersson this season, it’s hard to imagine that making much sense for Toronto.

Miller is also on a long deal that carries him through 2029-30, with a cap hit of $8 million per year.

There’s some creative accounting that could get the Leafs to afford that number in a trade. For example, if they combined two of Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Jake McCabe, and Chris Tanev’s salaries, they’d have the room to fit in Miller, but a move for an older veteran defenceman or two doesn’t seem to be like an ideal return for Vancouver.

But what about another piece that could be part of a grander Canucks exodus? If Vancouver does decide to move on from Pettersson or Miller, would it be the first domino in a major organizational rebuild?

Conor Garland and Brock Boeser stand out as two seasoned top-six forwards that the Leafs could show interest in, with Garland set to hit free agency in 2026 and Boeser slated to be there this summer. The Canucks have some tough conversations to have about their organizational future, and supplementary players like these two might not have a long-term future in town if the team isn’t able to be competitive this year or next.

Boeser is coming off a 40-goal season and has hit the 20-goal mark five times in seven years, putting up 16 goals in 42 contests so far this year. At a cap hit of just $6.65 million heading into free agency this summer, Boeser shapes up as a prime rental candidate if the Canucks are willing to part ways with him. Given how the Leafs have found ways to make trades work in the past, perhaps even a third team could be facilitated to retain part of Boeser’s salary for the next few months. He’s set for a big payday this summer, and a strong run with a contending team like Toronto could help set him up nicely in the open market.

Garland is another interesting option, with the 28-year-old putting up 13 goals and 20 assists in 49 games so far this year. He’s never scored more than 22 goals or 52 points in a season but would add some solid offensive depth to Toronto at a cap hit of $4.95 million this year and next.

Of course, this is all pure speculation, and we’re sure half the league is circling the Canucks like vultures right now.

Today? It’s hard to see the Leafs and Canucks making a move. But if the noise keeps up in Vancouver and things continue to go south, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to see these two being trade partners before the deadline.

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