The Toronto Maple Leafs, focused on making a deep playoff run during their Stanley Cup window, have made a major move to bolster their forward lineup. The team officially announced the addition of veteran forward Jordan Eberle in a deal valued at $19.5 million over two years.
Eberle, who has 1,018 NHL games under his belt and a career total of 299 goals and 403 assists for 702 points, will bring significant experience and offensive depth to Toronto. He is projected to be a middle-six forward and play a key role on the second power-play unit.
The deal, which was first floated as a trade proposal by a PuckPedia user, sees the Maple Leafs acquire Eberle from the Seattle Kraken with $1.4 million of his salary retained. In exchange, Toronto sends signing rights to prospects Nathan Mayes and Vladimir Bobylev, along with Florida’s second-round pick in 2025 and a fifth-round pick in 2026.
Trade Breakdown:
- Maple Leafs acquire: Jordan Eberle ($1.4 million salary retained by Kraken)
- Kraken acquire: Nathan Mayes (signing rights), Vladimir Bobylev (signing rights), 2025 second-round pick (Florida’s), 2026 fifth-round pick
The move benefits both teams: Toronto adds a proven scorer to help them compete now, while Seattle receives valuable prospects and draft picks to continue building around their young core.
Jordan Eberle’s Career and Impact
Eberle has been a key figure for the Kraken since joining the team during the expansion draft. In addition to being second in franchise history in games played, goals, assists, and points, he leads the Kraken in game-winning goals.
The 34-year-old forward, who previously played for the Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders, recently signed a two-year contract extension with Seattle in March, preventing him from becoming a free agent on July 1. Kraken GM Ron Francis praised Eberle’s leadership and performance, calling him “an important part of our franchise from day one.”
What Seattle Gains in Return
In exchange for Eberle, the Kraken gain signing rights to Nathan Mayes, a defenseman selected in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Draft, and Vladimir Bobylev, a forward chosen in the fifth round of the 2016 draft who has been playing in Europe. Additionally, the Kraken receive two draft picks to further build their roster.
Toronto GM Hints at More Moves
Despite this significant addition, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving suggested that more moves could be on the horizon before the start of training camp. While the Leafs have already strengthened their defense with the signings of Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, as well as adding goaltender Anthony Stolarz, Treliving remains open to further improvements.
“We’ve got five weeks or so until camp, and we’re not set yet. We continue to look for ways to make our team better,” Treliving said on TSN 1050’s OverDrive. “We don’t believe in making big changes just for the sake of it. If it’s not improving the team, it doesn’t make sense.”
The Maple Leafs will kick off their 2024-25 NHL season on the road against the Montreal Canadiens on October 9.
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