Friedman believes Maple Leafs may be working on trade with Atlantic division rival

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost one of the biggest stars the franchise has ever seen this off-season in Mitch Marner, and through 30 games in 2025/26, they've struggled to replace his production.

One player they acquired to potentially fill that void was Matias Maccelli, acquired in a trade from the Utah Mammoth, but thus far, he's struggled to take the next step in the NHL, seeing plenty of healthy scratches as of late.

In 22 games this season, Maccelli has tallied 4 goals and 9 points, and while that's solid production, given the other players they've got on this roster, it's simply not enough to justify him taking up a major role this year.

That means that Toronto are likely going to seek a trade involving the 25-year old, with Elliotte Friedman now speculating that the Boston Bruins, who have had prior interest could look into a deal involving the former fourth-round pick.

Unlike Toronto, Boston have shocked the NHL world this season with a 19-13-0 record through 32 games played, and with the team needing some depth up front, they could lock in Maccelli as a middle-six winger.

Ultimately, if these two Atlantic Division rivals do get a deal done, it's not going to be a major return, but given Boston's needs and Toronto's continued scratching of Maccelli, it's a deal that could make plenty of sense.