The Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly considering a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins to bolster their top-six forward group, potentially targeting one of Pittsburgh's $15 million-dollar men, Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust. With the departure of Mitch Marner, the Maple Leafs are looking to add offensive firepower, and both Rakell and Rust could be intriguing options.

Rakell and Rust are both coming off productive seasons. Rakell scored 35 goals and recorded 70 points, while Rust had a career-high 65 points, including 31 goals. Both wingers have three years remaining on their respective contracts. Rakell carries a $5 million cap hit, while Rust's is slightly higher at $5.125 million.

Currently, the Maple Leafs have around $5.33 million in cap space. To create more flexibility, they could potentially move players like Calle Järnkrok and David Kämpf, who have a combined cap hit of $4.5 million. Acquiring either Rakell or Rust would likely improve Toronto's top-six forward group.

However, Penguins' General Manager Kyle Dubas is reportedly in no rush to trade either player and would likely want a significant return for them. Dubas would likely ask for a high draft pick or a top prospect in exchange for taking on Toronto's depth contracts. It is possible that trade conversations could start with Easton Cowan. Dubas is in a strong negotiating position, as he can retain Rakell or Rust until the trade deadline. Rakell also has a partial no-trade clause, which allows him to control his destination to an extent.

The Maple Leafs' need for a top-six forward is evident after losing Mitch Marner. While names like Nazem Kadri, Erik Karlsson and Dougie Hamilton have been floated as potential targets, a reunion with Kadri is unlikely, and the cap situation makes acquiring Karlsson or Hamilton challenging.

Erik Karlsson has been linked to the Maple Leafs, but his $10 million AAV cap hit would be difficult to accommodate without Pittsburgh retaining salary. Chris Johnston reported that the Penguins are looking for a legitimate return for Karlsson.

Other potential targets for the Maple Leafs include Jared McCann from the Seattle Kraken. McCann has a $5 million AAV contract until 2026-27 and has been linked to Toronto in the past. The Maple Leafs may need to trade a player to make the finances work, with Max Domi being a potential candidate to be moved.

Maple Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving has indicated a willingness to explore older options and target players with one to three years remaining on their contracts from teams looking to offload salary. With the salary cap increasing, the free agency market is expected to be expensive, making trades a potentially more appealing option for the Maple Leafs.

Ultimately, whether the Maple Leafs and Penguins can agree on a trade remains to be seen. However, the potential for a deal involving Rakell or Rust is intriguing, given Toronto's need for offensive help and Pittsburgh's willingness to rebuild.