Details of a failed blockbuster trade between the Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs get revealed

Former Hawks and Leafs general managers Stan Bowman and Kyle Dubas almost completed a trade that would've drastically changed both teams in the long run.

Back in 2021, the Maple Leafs were looking for an upgrade between the pipes, and a new report confirmed that they almost acquired Marc-André Fleury from the Blackhawks.

In the deal, Toronto would have received Fleury as well as current Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, while the Blackhawks would've gotten Petr Mrazek, two first-round picks and the rights to Matthew Knies.

Check out the full details of the deal here:

According to the same report, former President of Hockey Operations Brendan Shanahan didn't approve of the trade, pushing Dubas to commit deeper into the Core Four.

In the end, this would've been a great deal for both teams, but with the advantage going to Chicago.

While the Leafs would've gotten a great goalie and a reliable forward, the Hawks would be happy to have Knies in their lineup today, as well as the Leafs' picks.

Knies, 22, has developed into a great young player, able to play on the Leafs' top line. In the past season, the forward scored 58 points, including 29 goals, in 78 games. In 13 playoff games, he scored seven points, including five goals.

But if that trade had gone down, the Hawks likely wouldn't have finished the 2022-23 season at the bottom of the rankings, meaning another team would've drafted Connor Bedard.

This shows that all trades can go a long way for teams and players. After all, not only the Leafs and the Hawks would've been impacted by that deal, but also the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Minnesota Wild, where Hagel and Fleury ended up playing.