Maple Leafs lost out on a trade two nights ago and it may be too late now

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost out on making a trade involving Lars Eller, but it may be too late now as he's been traded to the Washington Capitals.

It turns out the Toronto Maple Leafs lost their chance to acquire a veteran forward in Lars Eller, dealt to the Washington Capitals from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third-round pick in 2025 and a fifth-round pick in 2027.

Eller is a 16-year NHL veteran, a Stanley Cup champion, and was said to be a good candidate to bring in center depth for the Leafs, as they seem to be lacking some on their bottom-six.

A forward with this much experience, and over 400 points, with over 1,000 games under his belt, would have been an ideal addition to the Maple Leafs at this reasonable price that the Capitals paid for him.

With Eller off the market, Toronto will look elsewhere. One name being bandied about is Seattle Kraken's Yanni Gourde.

Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli says the Kraken could be willing to trade a forward given the club's surplus at the position, which might make Gourde a target.

There may be interest in him from Toronto, whose bottom-six forwards have started slow this season.

Gourde, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning, could bring scoring and leadership to the roster.

However, his $5.7 million cap hit presents a challenge that will likely require Seattle to retain some salary to make a deal work within Toronto's cap structure.

If Gourde is not an option, the Leafs could also consider Trent Frederic of the Boston Bruins.

Not as established as Gourde, he is a young and up-and-coming forward who can bring that physical side into the Toronto lineup.

His $2.3 million cap hit would be easier to swallow, of course, depending on how quickly the Leafs do some financial juggling with trades, LTIR, or waiver adjustments.

It's also been believed forward Christian Dvorak of the Montreal Canadiens is in play, but the rivalry between Montreal and Toronto could get in the way of a potential deal.

The same could be said about Trent Frederic of the Boston Bruins who appears to be available, however, the rivalry between the two teams could once again get in the way of that.

As it is, missing out on Eller shows the need for Toronto to shore up its offense, perhaps after that recent 3-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators.

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