Trade Pitch Would See Maple Leafs and Oilers Link Up on Multi-Player Deal

For years now, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers have been on similar trajectories as perennial contenders full of superstar talent. However, in 2025-26, times have changed, and the Maple Leafs are spiraling out of the playoff race. As a result, there’s a very real possibility the two iconic franchises could link up on a deal before the March 6 trade deadline.

Edmonton is looking for a top-nine forward and wouldn’t mind adding help on the blue line as well. On the flip side, Toronto appears to be heading toward selling and has several pending UFAs — along with a few players on term — who could bring back future assets to help reshape the roster.

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With that in mind, a Leafs fan account recently floated an interesting trade proposal on X that would send Brandon Carlo and Bobby McMann to the Oilers in exchange for Andrew Mangiapane and three draft picks.

Proposed Trade:

Edmonton receives: Brandon Carlo, Bobby McMann (50% retained)

Toronto receives: Andrew Mangiapane, 2027 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick

The 29-year-old Carlo is in year five of the six-year, $24.6 million extension signed with the Bruins back in 2021, while McMann, 29, is a pending UFA in the second and final season of the two-year, $1.35 million deal he signed to extend in Toronto in 2024.

Carlo has just four points (four assists) in 30 games this season. McMann, however, has been very productive, with 29 points (17 goals, 12 assists) recorded across 52 games thus far.

On the flip side, Mangiapane, 29, is in year one of the two-year $7.2 million contract he signed to join the Oilers in free agency this summer. He’s struggled to find a fit in Edmonton to the tune of 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 47 games.

Is It Worth the Cost for the Oilers?

While acquiring Carlo and McMann would undoubtedly strengthen the Oilers both up front and on the back end, it feels like too steep a price to pay at this point in time.

Carlo, in particular, has struggled in Toronto, and it’s fair to wonder which version of him Edmonton would be getting. McMann, on the other hand, fits what GM Stan Bowman is searching for to a tee — an impact top-nine forward — and, as reports have already suggested, he should absolutely be a target of the Oilers in a separate deal.

From a Maple Leafs perspective, GM Brad Treliving would love to recoup a first-round pick and two seconds to bolster the organization’s lean draft capital. Unfortunately, that will likely be too much to ask, at least from an Oilers standpoint. It would take one of the draft picks being removed for Bowman and company to have any serious discussions about truly considering the trade.

So while the proposal is certainly intriguing, some renegotiation would be required for a deal to reach the finish line. That said, don’t rule out the possibility of an Edmonton–Toronto trade before the deadline — particularly one involving McMann on his own.

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