Report: Leafs turned down blockbuster trade on Draft floor

JVR and a 1st, wow! Too rich for Lou and Shanny?

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Report: Leafs turned down blockbuster trade on Draft floor
Keystone Press

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared a compelling anecdote about the Toronto Maple Leafs in his latest 30 Thoughts article for Sportsnet. It’s no secret that the Leafs were hot on former New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic before he was ultimately dealt to the Calgary Flames, but how close were the Leafs to landing the 26 year-old defender? Apparently, real close. In fact, all they had to do was accept Isles’ GM Garth Snow’s offer. The problem? The offer was a doozy. 

From Friedman’s article:

Snow and Toronto GM Lou Lamoriello had a seven-minute conversation on the draft floor prior to Round 1. As has been reported, the name James van Riemsdyk came up. The Islanders then asked for JVR and a first, which Toronto did not want to do.

Wow. That’s a big ask. No wonder the Leafs balked at making a deal. Ultimately Hamonic was traded to the Flames for a 2018 1st round pick and two second round picks. What do you think Leafs fans? Were the Leafs smart to avoid a deal of this magnitude? Or did they miss out on acquiring what could have been a big part of their core moving forward?