We are now just a few days away from the NHL Trade Deadline and talks are heating up. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
After bringing in some experience and character in the offseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been the unquestioned leader of the North Division for most of the season. They now sit seven points clear of the second place Winnipeg Jets, meaning if there was ever a year for GM Kyle Dubas to push his chips to the middle, this might be it. Dubas himself has admitted that the team’s cap situation may lend itself to going after a rental instead of a player with term this year, meaning nearly everyone on an expiring contract could be a target for the Maple Leafs. A complicated cap situation will make the deadline difficult to navigate though, as will a mysterious injury to goaltender Frederik Andersen.
Record
27-10-3, .713, 1st in North Division
Deadline Status
Buyers
Deadline Cap Space
$140K in full-season space ($626K at the deadline), 1/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2021: TOR 1st, TOR 2nd, TOR 4th, TOR 5th, TOR 6th*
2022: TOR 1st, TOR 2nd, TOR 3rd, TOR 4th, TOR 5th, TOR 6th, TOR 7th
Trade Chips
If you go by TSN’s Trade Bait board, the player most likely dealt by the Maple Leafs is “Toronto’s Top Prospect.” This idea comes from a press conference Dubas held last month, at which he admitted that they would be willing to move a top prospect to improve this season. While there has been no real clarity on who that top prospect would be, the group of Rasmus Sandin, Nicholas Robertson, Timothy Liljegren, and Rodion Amirov seem the most likely candidates. Are one of those names worth moving for a rental? With the market establishing for top rentals following the Kyle Palmieri trade, it may not actually end up requiring one of Toronto’s best to add a middle-six name. If they go after a bigger fish, all options are on the table.
There’s a good chance that Toronto’s first-round pick will also end up being pretty late this year thanks to the divisional competition, perhaps meaning the team would be willing to part with it to make a run. Dubas hasn’t hesitated in moving picks out before, trading a first for Jake Muzzin and another to rid himself of Patrick Marleau’s contract.
In terms of roster players, if a forward is coming in, someone else may have to be going out in order to stay under the cap ceiling. Alexander Kerfoot is the player who might find himself on the outside given the $3.5MM cap hit he carries, though names like Ilya Mikheyev or Pierre Engvall could also fit the bill. All three players are well-liked by the coaching staff and provide desirable attributes, but thanks to the addition of Alex Galchenyuk in the top-six, may be expendable.
Travis Dermott is the other name that usually dominates Maple Leafs speculation, though it appears as though Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe is comfortable with the six defensemen he has. Dermott is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent in the offseason and will likely have to be exposed to Seattle in the expansion draft, meaning there’s at least a chance that the Maple Leafs could flip him for a rental at the deadline. Sandin is expected to challenge for a full-time spot next season and could fill that bottom-pairing role, meaning Dermott’s time in Toronto could be coming to an end soon enough, even if he makes it through Monday.
Others to watch for: F Filip Hallander, F Joey Anderson, D Calle Rosen
Team Needs
1) Top-six forward: Even though Galchenyuk has found a home next to John Tavares on the second line, he still has just four points in ten games with the Maple Leafs and could be upgraded. If Dubas and company truly believe they have a chance to go for the Stanley Cup this season, adding another winger that is more than just a role player is the easiest way to improve. Zach Hyman, who is currently skating on the top line next to Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, is a utility knife that can move anywhere in the lineup and still have an impact. Bringing in a real difference-maker could push this group over the edge.
2) Depth: They probably have enough of it on the fringes of the forward group, but Toronto is playing a dangerous game in goal. Jack Campbell is carrying the load and has been outstanding, but has a long history of injuries. If he were to go out before Andersen returns—which still doesn’t have a definitive timeline—the team would be left with some combination of Michael Hutchinson, Veini Vehvilainen and Joseph Woll in the crease. On defense it’s much of the same story, given how inexperienced the options are beyond the top six. If someone like T.J. Brodie or Justin Holl were to go down, the Maple Leafs would be hard-pressed to fill that role on the right side. Adding some more flexibility and experience is always a positive when expecting a long playoff run.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Unpopular opinion, leafs need to trade Rielly in the offseason. But for now a middle 6 winger who can play centre in a pinch along with a 1b type goalie is what they need. Leave the D alone unless it’s a significant upgrade over dermott
I agree with trading Reilly in the off season. As for 1B goalie I am thinking someone like Grubauer or Hutton in Buffalo.
Hutton is a hard pass, Ulmark is what they would need
Grubauer? the guy who has started 33 games for Colorado and is one of the top goalies in the league this year? Yeah I don’t think the Avalanche are trading him.
Probably meant korpisalo
Dumps
Lilligren Andersen Kerfoot Dermott drafts picks
Acquires
Holtby Quick Subban Hall Savard Korpisalo
They are in 1st place,but asking a goaltender who has FAILED in the playoffs to WIN IT ALL.
I’d grab Quick and then expose him in the draft.
It’s not his crease in LA anymore.
Subban for Kerfoot & Dermott is money in and out of Jersey eats half.
Holtby has won it and wouldn’t take much to get him.
I ask this of my staff daily when they start up with the crazy talk-walk into the bathroom and look in the mirror and ask “can the leafs win it all with Freddie?”
It’s called a long lunch.
And obviously they don’t need both goalies I mentioned above.
Glad Siri took half of what I dictated out.
They will never get all of those parts,but some those pieces would help.
Are you the REAL Dave Frost ? If not, it’s an odd choice for a username…..
dumps in Tim and Travis? so guys making league min or just above are dumps?
Also have you seen Subban play the last two years? I’d much rather have Dermott at 875,000 this year and say 1.5 next year.
Nylander for Hall.
Leafs receive: Dustin brown, Jonathan quick (kings retain half of his salary for remaining contract)
Kings receive: toronto 21’ 2nd rounder (conditional to upgrade to 1st with Stanley cup final appearance), 22’ 2nd, Alex kerfoot (kings eat full contract)
Brown would be an excellent relatively low cost addition for leafs. Brown has 15 goals to date and 23 points on a bad kings roster projected for 50 points 30 goals and is under contract for 1 additional season after this one at an affordable 5 million cap hit. Kings could retain salary on both players while taking back a bad contract to offset salaries. I think quick on a better roster would also provide depth and playoff pedigree especially with kings retaining salary he becomes much more reasonable.
Also think kerfoot could be a nice depth piece for kings who are trying to get younger while also building competition for young guns.
This follows kings plans to accrue additional assets for their rebuild. I think you could also take out a pick and add in one of the prospect mentioned and kings would accept that as well. Kings need to build defensive depth and goalie prospects behind Peterson.
With potentially 2 firsts kings could then target Jesper wallstedt with their first pick and a defensemen like Carson lambos (who had top talent but has seen his value slip due to a poor year)
Their not interested in quick, Friedman shut that rumour down a month ago said leafs have 0 interest in him. Brown on the other hand would be a great get
Only mentioned quick as a cheap vet with deep playoff experience especially with salary retention. I have watched most kings game and his poor numbers aren’t due to him but second chance points and rebounds. Kings defense is bad, I think quick on a Stanley cup contender for 2.5/3 million per season is more than reasonable. They could then expose him during expansion draft for seattle after season. Just a thought
Wow, that would be incredibly generous of the Kings agreed to this trade. We’d owe them a favor or three. You’re suggesting they retain on BOTH players, take back a bad contract AND give up Quick and DB in exchange for a couple of seconds and Kerfoot ?? I’m a Leafs fan but there’s no way LA doesn’t laugh themselves silly at a proposal like this.
I said they retain half quicks salary
the major issue with this trade is that even if the kings retain salary this year (which would be a lot considering brown and quick each make 5 million+), you are also adding 7 million to the leafs payroll for the next 2 seasons after. Dubas isn’t going to add that much future salary and the kings won’t retain that much future salary. Also exposing quick to expansion doesn’t ensure he’s taken. Seattle will have a lot of goalies to take a look at and will have some options in FA. Andersen, Grubauer, Raanta, Reimer, Mrazek, Rittich all available as UFAs.
I would love to see the Isles make a move to strengthen the D. I know Hamomic may have a NMC but I wonder if he would come back to a team that he played for who are definitely going to the playoffs and could have a deep run. For the Isles it would be an upgrade over Hickey. He could also spell Green who is much older. Hamonic is a UFA to be and is not making that much so from a salary cap standpoint would fit in.
He doesn’t want to leave the west coast of Canada. So I assume he’ll be an oil next year