The Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins will be connected to one another for a long time to come.
After five years as the general manager in Toronto, Kyle Dubas fled to Pittsburgh, taking full autonomy over the Penguins for the foreseeable future.
Dubas was heavily scrutinized throughout his time with the Maple Leafs, particularly for his constant belief in the core group of players despite repeated playoff failures. Could he now bring one of them to Pittsburgh via trade?
There’s yet to be any deal of substance go down between Dubas and his former team; however, many have speculated about a swap of polarizing star defensemen, Morgan Rielly and Erik Karlsson.
On Thursday, during Leafs Morning Take, former NHLer, now Maple Leafs analyst, Jay Rosehill said it’s a no-brainer when proposed the idea of acquiring Karlsson at 20 percent retention for Rielly and Nick Robertson.
“I take that all day. We’re trying to get rid of Nick Robertson in general, doesn’t fit anywhere. Who’s he beating out for a roster spot? I just don’t think he’s going to be here,” Rosehill said.
“And Morgan Rielly is, you know, kind of stalled, makes $7.5 million, doesn’t produce like he used to… and to get the upside of Erik Karlsson and a guy that can QB your PP. And do everything that Karlsson has done in the past, a Norris Trophy winner. And everything that he’s done experience-wise would be a great deal. But again, I just don’t see anyone going for that; it’s one of those pipe dream deals to me. So I would take it for sure; I just don’t see it happening,” Rosehill added.
Mock Trade:
Morgan Rielly & Nic Robertson For Erik Karlsson
Who says no? @zackphill | @Jay_D_Rosehill #LMT #LeafsMorningTake pic.twitter.com/dsy3YekxZb
— TheLeafsNation (@TLNdc) August 21, 2025
Both Rielly and Karlsson have surfaced in trade rumors throughout the offseason, though nothing has come to fruition with either player.
The Maple Leafs could use someone like Erik Karlsson
Many around the hockey world rip on Erik Karlsson for his defensive woes, which at times can be maddening. But what they forget is that Karlsson has never been a defensive stalwart. What he brings to the table is a dynamic offensive skill set, unlike many others from the blue line, and that’s exactly what the Toronto Maple Leafs need.
Toronto’s defense corps is very strong but lacks offensive pop aside from Morgan Rielly. The rest of the unit plays a very sound, structured game; they can afford to add a risk-taker that provides even more upside than Rielly, so the swap would make a lot of sense for them.
However, as Rosehill referred to, whether the same can be said for Dubas and the Penguins is a different story.
