The Toronto Maple Leafs are acquiring forward Connor Dewar from the Minnesota Wild, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reported Friday.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the return for Dewar is a 2026 fourth-round pick.
Dewar has spent the past two seasons as the Wild’s fourth-line centre. This season, he has 10 goals and four assists in 57 games.
The 24-year-old forward has also been a key penalty killer for the Wild and has four shorthanded goals over the past two seasons.
Dewar is in the final year of a two-year, $1.6-million deal with a cap hit of $800,000. He is set to become a restricted free agent this summer.
It’s the third move the Maple Leafs made prior to the deadline in an attempt to bolster their roster for a playoff run. Dewar joins defencemen Joel Edmundson and Ilya Lyubushkin as new additions to Toronto’s team.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a significant move to bolster their forward depth by acquiring Connor Dewar from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the upcoming NHL draft. Dewar, a 21-year-old center, brings a combination of skill, speed, and physicality to the Leafs’ lineup.
Dewar was originally selected by the Wild in the third round of the 2018 NHL draft and has spent the past few seasons developing in the AHL with the Iowa Wild. In 2020-2021, he tallied 15 goals and 14 assists in 37 games, showcasing his scoring touch and playmaking abilities.
The addition of Dewar gives the Maple Leafs another young, talented forward to add to their already potent offensive arsenal. With players like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander leading the way, Dewar will have the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the game and contribute right away.
Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas expressed his excitement about adding Dewar to the team, stating, “Connor is a dynamic young player with a lot of potential. We believe he can make an immediate impact and help us continue to compete at a high level.”
On the other side of the trade, the Wild acquire a fourth-round pick that could potentially turn into a valuable asset for them in the future. By trading Dewar, they free up roster space and add another draft pick to their pool of prospects.
Overall, this trade benefits both teams as the Maple Leafs add a promising young forward to their lineup while the Wild acquire a draft pick to help build for the future. It will be interesting to see how Dewar fits in with his new team and how he contributes to their success moving forward.