Report: Trade Pitch Has Maple Leafs Acquiring Renowned Former 1st-Round Pick
Innipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti remains unsigned as an RFA, and his future with the team was already uncertain.
PuckPedia’s new tool, PuckGM, allows users to design their own deals, and one user proposed a deal that would see the Toronto Maple Leafs acquire Perfetti from the Jets in a multi-player blockbuster.
Maple Leafs get:
Calle Jarnkrok
Alexander Steeves
The proposed trade appears logical and quite interesting. Toronto would acquire Perfetti, who was drafted 10th overall by Winnipeg in 2020, along with an additional draft pick. Last season, Perfetti played 71 games, scoring 19 goals and adding 19 assists for 38 points. With Toronto, Perfetti could potentially take on a role as a third-line center or shift to the wing as a second-line left winger.
In return, Robertson is the key asset. Like Perfetti, Robertson is an RFA and currently unsigned. He has requested a trade from the Maple Leafs due to his limited role last season, where he posted 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 56 games.
Jarnkrok, on the other hand, would provide veteran experience to the Jets while also freeing up cap space for Toronto. Jarnkrok played 52 games last season, recording 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points. He has two years remaining on his four-year, $8.4 million contract.
Jets GM Gives Update on Perfetti’s Contract Status
Perfetti became a restricted free agent (RFA) on July 1, and no agreement has been reached yet. Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff mentioned that negotiations are still ongoing with his agent, and he hopes a deal will be finalized soon.
Cheveldayoff noted, “I did have a conversation with his camp on August 21. Those discussions are still ongoing. When it comes to an RFA without arbitration rights, these negotiations can sometimes extend through the summer for various reasons. Hopefully, we can resolve this sooner rather than later.”
Perfetti was a healthy scratch for Winnipeg towards the end of the season and appeared in only one playoff game. As the 2024-25 NHL season approaches, Perfetti is expected to be Winnipeg’s second-line right winger.
Maple Leafs GM Hints at Moves Coming
With NHL training camps set to open in September, teams are expected to bring in veteran players on tryout contracts to compete for roster spots. The Toronto Maple Leafs are no exception, and GM Brad Treliving has hinted that more moves could be on the horizon.
“We’ve still got about five weeks until camp, and we’re not set yet. We continue to explore ways to improve our team,” Treliving mentioned on OverDrive on TSN 1050. “I said at the end of the year that we’d evaluate everything. Sometimes there’s a temptation to make a big change for the sake of making a change. But if those changes don’t actually make your team better, there’s no point in doing it just to say ‘look at the big move we made.’”
Currently, the Maple Leafs have just over $1.2 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia.