Maple Leafs' trade deadline problems are already 2 deals old

The Toronto Maple Leafs were already dug into a deep hole well before this year's NHL trade deadline arrived.

Two trades they made last year at this time ended up being failures that have set them well back and forced them into the unfavorable selling corner they find themselves in now.

The Brandon Carlo trade has been the most discussed. They traded promising youngster Fraser Minten and a 2026 first-round pick (top-five protected) to the Bruins to get the defenseman Carlo.

There's also the Scott Laughton trade, for which they sent Nikita Grebenkin and a 2027 first-rounder (top-10 protected) to the Philadelphia Flyers for the center Laughton.

Now, Laughton is a trade candidate on an expiring contract, and Carlo hasn't made a great impact. And in Boston, Minten has been great, just to add to the consternation.

"At last year’s deadline, TOR spent this year’s 1st and an NHL-ready 20yo on their #5 d-man by TOI," wrote Jeff Veillette on X. "They also spent next year’s 1st and an NHL-ready 22yo on their #9 forward by TOI If they can’t get a 1st for anyone they have now, how is it not a massive indictment on management?"

MORE: Maple Leafs getting help from Flyers to trade veteran center

Yeah, clearly none of this looks very good for the Leafs at this point.

A season like this for a high-profile franchise often leads to changes beyond just those that will happen before Friday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.

For Toronto to rebound and move in the right direction, it might need structural changes, too.

Those two trades last year have proven things simply aren't what the Maple Leafs need them to be.

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