Who Are The Maple Leafs' 'Premium Assets' As GM John Chayka Looks To Upgrade The Defense?

It's been made clear that the Toronto Maple Leafs are interested in adding a defenseman to upgrade their back end as they look to get back into the post-season this year.

On Sportsnet's broadcast on Saturday, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Maple Leafs have made it clear that they are willing to hear offers for their "premium assets" in exchange for a defenseman. And Toronto isn't looking for a quick fix on the blueline - they want someone who can help them in the long run.

The Maple Leafs aren't exactly loaded in future assets, and there are very few that can be labelled as premium or A-level. But that doesn't mean they don't exist in the organization.

Here are the premium assets that Leafs GM John Chayka could be looking at to move for a good NHL defenseman.

The most expendable asset that has decent value in the Maple Leafs' organization would be the conditional 2027 first-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche. Toronto received this draft pick from Colorado around last year's trade deadline in exchange for center Nicolas Roy.

The pick, top-10 protected, likely won't be a high selection considering the state of the Avalanche and their status as a serious Stanley Cup contender. But it is still a first-round pick, and selling teams would certainly appreciate acquiring that asset for the right price.

In any move that Chayka wants to make that carries some significance, that draft pick is as good as gone.

Toronto also has its 2029 first-round pick, as well as a second-round pick in the next three drafts.

Ben Danford has made the jump to full-time professional hockey this season with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL. The 20-year-old defenseman featured for the Marlies in the Calder Cup playoffs, making 16 appearances in that post-season. This year, he's played five games so far, providing two assists. He missed one game earlier in the month with a lower-body injury.

The organization is high on their 2024 first-round draft pick (31st overall). Many have said that Danford isn't far from becoming an NHLer, including Marlies head coach Steve Sullivan. In Monday's podcast episode of 32 Thoughts, Friedman also added that "he's not far away" from a look in the NHL.

He'd likely be the most interesting prospect in the Leafs' system from the perspective of other NHL teams and GMs.

Coming off another huge performance for the Maple Leafs in Tuesday's win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, Easton Cowan is certainly a premium and A-tier asset at this point.

In what is his sophomore season, the 21-year-old had a three-point night, including his first career shorthanded goal, and now has four goals and 10 points in 11 games for Toronto, placing him fourth on the team in scoring.

Considering how effective he's been for his team to start the 2026-27 campaign, there isn't a strong desire for the front office to move off him.

"They don't seem that interested in trading Cowan," Friedman said on Monday's podcast. "They really seem to believe that he's the real deal."

In that initial 'Saturday Headlines' report, Friedman added that the Maple Leafs have also made it clear that they're willing to move off one of their older defensemen in exchange for someone younger in the same position.

This is a scenario that could apply to a Stanley Cup contender as a potential trade partner for Toronto. And the only veteran blueliner who isn't completely protected from a trade is 35-year-old Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Last season, Ekman-Larsson had a great year and exceeded expectations in several ways. In 78 appearances in 2025-26, the Swedish defenseman scored eight goals and 39 points, which is the most he's scored since the 2018-19 season with the Arizona Coyotes. 

He was even called to represent Sweden at the 2026 Olympics and captained his nation at the World Championship following the NHL regular season.

This year, however, Ekman-Larsson hasn't been nearly as impressive. 

He has just one assist in 11 games and is tied for the league lead in minor penalties taken with seven. That accumulates to 14 penalty minutes this season, the second-most on the team behind Zack MacEwen, who had 17 penalty minutes alone against the Blue Jackets.

Ekman-Larsson has two more years on his contract at $3.5 million per season and has a 16-team no-trade list for both years. In that case, he's probably not a premium asset, or at least not as valuable as he was last year.

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