Maple Leafs: 3 Probable Trade Destinations for John Tavares

The Penguins need to shake things up after a disappointing 2023-24 season, and though adding older players may not be at the top of their list, having Tavares, a player still capable of producing solid offence, for just one more season may not be the worst plan, especially with how much the Penguins struggled to score this season.

On the other hand, the Maple Leafs need defence and have one who makes a lot of money in Erik Karlsson. Though the Pens are only on the hook for $10 million of his $11.5 million cap hit, the money would nearly balance itself out if the two were swapped. From the Leafs’ perspective, the trade would help improve their blue line, while for the Penguins, it would help move out a deal that still has plenty of term.

Utah

Though the standings won’t show it, the Arizona Coyotes (now Utah) were a competitive team for a large chunk of the 2023-24 season. A 14-game losing streak in February took away what was a good shot at a playoff spot. Before that, they showed plenty of promise and have a great young group of players who only continue to improve.

Utah has a good amount of cap space and could perhaps help even things out a bit more from a money perspective by sending goaltender Karel Vejmelka to the Maple Leafs. They will need another goaltender to split time with Joseph Woll, and the 27-year-old has played reasonably well in a mostly 50/50 crease split through his three NHL seasons.

Boston Bruins

It is quite impressive that the Bruins could reach the second round, given the immense hit their team took in the offseason. With Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retiring, they were forced to go with Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha as their top-two centremen, which is hurting them right now in their series against the Florida Panthers.

The Bruins have plenty of talent on their roster but will need to add down the middle this summer. Tavares would undoubtedly be their top centreman should they be able to make a deal work. Given that they are expected to move Linus Ullmark and are unlikely to re-sign Jake DeBrusk, they will have some open cap space.

Tavares Still Has Value

Despite many believing he is on the decline, Tavares is a player every team in the league would love to have on their roster. He may not be an $11 million player as his cap hit indicates, but he is still a very capable top-six forward. The fact that he has just one year on his lucrative deal makes acquiring him far less risky for those interested. Whether he is interested in leaving Toronto remains to be seen, but he is willing to waive his no-movement clause; these three would all be solid fits.