The Toronto Maple Leafs need a third-line centre and they need a high-end defenseman.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a very impressive team that looks like it could easily slide into the mix with the Rangers, Stars, Hurricanes and (I guess) the Jets as the NHL's top teams. But they are not there now because they are missing a 3rd line centre and a top pairing defenseman.
They are just missing those two things. And, as it happens, there are one of each on (likely) non-playoff teams that - with the proper salary retention - could fit into the Leafs lineup.
I'm talking about Zach Werenski and Nazem Kadri.
2 Trades for the "Missing Pieces" to put the Toronto Maple Leafs "Over the Top"
Nazem Kadri is an ex-Leafs player who forced his way off the team with his ridiculous behavior, but he's since gone on to win the Stanley Cup and would likely be welcomed back with open arms. It's hard to imagine a better for for the current team - both in terms of what they actually need and in the classically romantic sense.
Bringing back Kadri would take this team full-circle, and how fun would it be for the declining but still good Kadri and Tavares to co-author a trip to the Stanley Cup finals?
This would be all the more likely if the Leafs added Werenski - a high-end defenseman who is exactly what they are missing. Werenski is super-star defender who is likely available because his age and injury history doesn't jibe very well with Columbus' timeline to contention.
So how can the Leafs get this done? Well, it would take a ton of creativity and luck to make it happen, but let's see if we can make it work. (all cap info puckpedia.com).
For Kadri, his contract is $7 million for four more years. The Flames would likely give him away if someone took that contract, so the key is to pay the Flames a first rounder from way down the road without lottery protection. Let's say a 2030 un-protected 1st rounder in exchange for Kadri and half his salary retained. The Leafs would also include Max Domi in this deal in order to fit the now $3.5 million cap-hit of Kadri into their current lineup.
The Leafs could then turn their attention to Columbus. The trade for Werenski and half his salary retained would be Easton Cowan, Topi Niemela, Nick Robertson and some draft picks. The Leafs would also include David Kampf and Conor Timmins to make the salary cap work.
The Toronto Maple Leafs would then objectively have the NHL's best team. They would have Matthews-Tavares-Kadri down the middle and a top four of Rielly-Werenski / McCabe-Tanev.
It would be glorious and it's - as far as I can tell - realistic in that both players are likely to be available and both packages for each player are not only fair but make the salary cap work.