Leafs Get a Warning Label on Trading Down From No. 1

Maple Leaf Hot Stove is pumping the brakes on the idea that trading down from the Leafs’ top pick is the easy answer, and that is exactly the kind of reminder draft rooms ignore right before they regret it. The Matthew Knies chatter and the Marlies angle add to the noise, but the real issue is whether Toronto can afford to get cute with premium assets. In this league, the difference between clever and reckless is usually only obvious about three years later.