The Leafs picked up their right-handed defenceman and depth centre. The moves' effectiveness will play out in time.

As has been extensively covered here and by several NHL insiders, the Toronto Maple Leafs made a serious push to acquire Mikko Rantanen before the NHL trade deadline. In fact, the Leafs engaged in multiple trade discussions with the Carolina Hurricanes,

As the NHL trade deadline drew to a close, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins squeezed in one more move at the buzzer involving defenseman Brandon Carlo. The main portion of the trade moved Carlo from the Bruins to the Maple Leafs,