NHL trade rumors: Maple Leafs land $68,000,000 NY Rangers forward in blockbuster mock trade

A mock trade proposed by NHL insider Roger Hicks has the Toronto Maple Leafs landing New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad in a blockbuster deal.

Zibanejad has a eight-year, $68 million contract through 2029-30. It requires the Rangers to retain 25% of his salary to make a trade work for the cap-strapped Maple Leafs, according to cap tracking site PuckPedia.

The trade rumor comes after reports that Zibanejad and the Rangers had internally discussed the potential for a change of scenery around the time of the 2025 NHL Draft. In the proposed mock trade, the Maple Leafs would acquire Zibanejad and 25% of his salary from New York.

Going back to the Rangers would be young left winger Nick Robertson, who's on an affordable $797K RFA contract after scoring 38 points in 66 games last season.

The Rangers would also get Toronto's first-round pick in 2026 and a conditional 2027 third-round pick that becomes a second-rounder if the Maple Leafs win a playoff round.

Landing Zibanejad would be a major boost for a Maple Leafs team looking to get over the hump in the playoffs.

However, making the money work would likely require an additional team or further trades to open up cap space. Zibanejad also has a no-move clause, meaning he would need to approve any potential deal.

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NHL analysts on Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad

NHL analysts Elliotte Friedman and mickey8rangers shared their thoughts on New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad's future with the team.

In his 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman said that it's clear the Rangers are working with Zibanejad to find a way to make it work, but nothing is guaranteed long-term.

"It's very clear the Rangers are working with Mika Zibanejad; they're trying to figure out a way to make it work; you never know if it'll continue, but the bottom line is, this season is not starting the way the last two did (trade noise)."

However, Mickey8rangers pushed back on speculation that Zibanejad could be traded, saying that both the player and the Rangers remain committed to each other:

“If things go south this season (where NYR not a playoff team), that's where the convo can get re-started."

Last season, Zibanejad registered a respectable 63 points, including 24 goals and 39 assists, over 79 games.