He said he can’t see himself trading a first or a top prospect for a rental. It may have been true or it may have been his way to put it out there that the Leafs won’t be easy marks for selling teams. If he was being truthful, then I’m sure when he said it, it was true. Whether it remains true today or will remain true through the deadline has yet to be seen,
It’s not like he swore under oath “I will absolutely not, under any circumstance, trade a first round pick or a top prospect for a rental at any point before 3:00 pm EST on March 3, 2023.” It was a casual statement about the way was leaning at the moment he made it. That’s all.
Understood,
However Army has been very clear that the cost to acquire ROR is a 1st AND a top prospect.
Knies, Robertson, Topi, Minten, and Pontus, are arguably the top 5 prospects in the Leafs system.
Pontus projects as a bottom 6 player, I doubt the Blues have interest.
Topi is undersized and the Blues have their top 4 under contract for multiple years, I doubt there is interest there.
Robertson is an injury liability that hasnt been able to stick in the NHL.
Minten and obviously Knies are the prospects that you would build a trade around.
A deal involving Knies and a 1st for ROR with salary retention is likely what has been discussed.
A Deal with Minten is going to include the 1st plus other assets. The Blues have been rumored to have discussed, Villeneuve so for ROR/salary retained for a 1st, Minten and Villeneuve might be a package.
However if Toronto is going to ask to take salary back, i.e. Holl, Kerfoot, etc. That is going to increase the return from Toronto.