Mikko Rantanen was traded from the Hurricanes to the Stars, but a new report suggests the Maple Leafs were his backup team if a deal ended up failing. The Toronto Maple Leafs were named by NHL insider Darren Dreger as a backup trade location for Mikko Rantanen in the event that his relocation to the Dallas Stars did not pan out.

The Leafs' biggest move of the trade deadline was one that never ended up happening. What does that mean for the future?

As has been extensively covered here and by several NHL insiders, the Toronto Maple Leafs made a serious push to acquire Mikko Rantanen before the NHL trade deadline. In fact, the Leafs engaged in multiple trade discussions with the Carolina Hurricanes, offering what is believed to be three different packages in an attempt to land the star forward.