You are giving up an awful lot for a 3rd pairing defenseman who will end up playing less than 15 minutes a night. I think the reality is that as long as Muzzin and Rielly are in Toronto, there isn't a spot for Ekholm. The cost just doesn't match the gain for the Leafs.

I mean on a Stanley Cup contender you want Ekholm playing those 15 minutes, not Lehtonen. Ekholm has had a down year so far on a terrible Nashville team but he was considered a top 30 all around defenseman as recently as last year

I'd rather have Lehtonen or Dermott playing those minutes and not putting in the sunk cost of a 2nd year when Seattle is going to take him in the expansion. You don't win cups by being good for 1 year and hoping the puck bounces your way in the playoffs, you win cups by being good for a long stretch.

giving up way too much here. Eklhom is a really good player, but i'd be looking at a return similar to muzzin, which means you might get one of kerfoot/dermott/lilly plus the pick and hallander, but youre not getting all 3 of those guys, and then there's implications for the expansion draft, which means it's a lot to give up for a rental.

lilly isnt just a sweetener. you never hear that out of guys like cal foote or brannstrom that were drafted around him and have similar development paths.

No idea why TOR would have interest in Ekholm, unless they're planning on playing him on the right side (he's done it before, but it would make more sense to go after a natural RD). Yeah a 1st, and two of Lilijegren, Dermott, or Hållander would be comparable to the Muzzin deal (the Leafs probably value Liljegren more than either Durzi or Grundström though). That part of the deal would be acceptable to NSH. The Granlund with retention and a 3rd for Kerfoot and the odd man out from the previously mentioned players part wouldn't make sense for them.