Toronto Maple Leafs: Roundtable Mock Trade/Draft Selection

3 of 5

The 2015 NHL Draft is deep – but the Toronto Maple Leafs don’t have a selection in the second round.

In this weeks roundtable we’re going to get the Maple Leafs into the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft and select a player with the pick based on today’s (March 11th) standings.

Let’s get into it.

Tim Chiasson

In my previous post today I mentioned Wiercioch as a player the Leafs should be looking at acquiring. His underlying stats are fantastic and I’m not sure he was ever in favor with the Senators.

He has the potential to be a solid 4-6 defender for several years for Toronto and I’d rate him higher than almost all of the Leafs current defenders that aren’t on the big club.

Greening comes over as a financial requirement to satisfy the internal budget for the Ottawa Senators and the Leafs get the coveted second round selection.

For Ottawa they get a legitimate top-six winger to to round out a group that already includes Bobby Ryan, Milan Michalek and Clarke MacArthur. There is no salary retention in the deal because of Greening coming back.

The Senators need to start making a move or two that makes them better, this trade does that with minimal loss. Wiercioch is lost in a large group of blueliners and Greening doesn’t have much value – especially at his current salary.

Draft Selection

Next: Daniel Goldsmith's Trade/Pick

Daniel Goldsmith

Calgary has three picks in the 2nd round of the upcoming draft, and could be willing to part with one of them at a reduced rate if it meant improving their current roster.

More from Editor In Leaf

Tough as nails, Roman Polak is a defenseman who will fit well with the blue-collar style that Calgary has adopted under head coach Bob Hartley, GM Brad Treliving and President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke.

The Leafs on the other hand are going into a rebuilding phase, and the trade value of a veteran player like the 28-year-old Polak will outweigh his long-term value to the Leafs.

Moreover, with 2015-16 as the final year of his contract with the Leafs, Leafs management would be wise to get something for Polak before he has the option of leaving for nothing as a free agent. This logic is the same sort that inspired the Leafs to move Daniel Winnik, Mike Santorelli and Cody Franson before this season’s trade deadline.

Draft Selection

Next: Jeff Langridge's Trade/Pick

Jeff Langridge

Why?: St. Louis wanted Polak back at the deadline so I see no reason why a trade would not work at the draft. With one year left on his contract and how much he is valued, a second-rounder could be an equal round pick.

Draft Selection

Next: Dave Chernish's Trade/Pick

Dave Chernish

I would trade into the mid-round of the second round – because the cost for a top five second round draft pick is a lot more than a mid second round pick. I would select a defenceman from the Peterborough Petes by the name of Matt Spencer.

The deal works for both teams because you are sending some other pick (3-5th rounder) and a roster player like Roman Polak or prospect like Andreas Johnson or Sam Carrick for that 2nd rounder. The Leafs could even get a late round pick or an unsigned prospect along with the 2nd round draft pick the Leafs obtain.

Draft Selection

Next: Torrin Batchelor's Trade/Pick

Torrin Batchelor

The Trade:

I am still going to hold out hope that the reports of the Leafs wanting a 1st round pick involved for Bozak, Phaneuf, Kessel, JVR and Kadri. If that is still the case then for a 2nd round pick we’d be left looking at Roman Polak, Joffrey Lupul or Peter Holland. Since Holland’s play of late seems to be lending itself towards being apart of the core going forward, let’s take him off the list too.TheFourthperiod.com reported that the Blues and Leafs had seriously talked about shipping Lupul to the Blues, but the deal couldn’t be finalized over concerns about Lupul’s injury history and larger cap hit (5.25M for 3 more seasons after this one).

I propose the Leafs trade:

Note: Maple Leafs retain 1.25M of his [Lupul] 5.25M cap hit, so 4M for three more seasons.

Reasoning for Blues:

Lupul is not an injury prone player, but he is cursed by the hockey gods and that lowers his value no matter which way you look at it. By retaining some money on his larger cap hit the Leafs help assuage some of the risk in the deal on behalf of the Blues. The St.Louis Blues most pressing issues when it comes to not advancing in the playoffs the last few seasons have been No.1 goaltending and No.2 the ability to score goals.

While neither Polak or Lupul will help with No.1, Lupul will arguably become the teams 4th best offensive forward behind Tarasenko, Schwartz and Steen immediately. Lupul plays with the kind of chip on his shoulder that Coach Hitchcock likes and has a proven track record of being able to score when put with the right line mates. In Roman Polak the Blues resolve a hole they created on their own blue line when they traded him away in the first place, that beastly physical play and ability to clear the front of the net.

The Blues went out and got Michalek from Phoenix to try and patch that hole, but he and Barrett Jackman are both UFA’s at seasons end and will need to be replaced. Polak is the devil the Blues know, and brings the kind of snarly, heart and soul presence the team doesn’t have on its backend.

Reasoning For Leafs:

Patrick Berglund is the type of unheralded defensively responsible player that Randy Carlyle was begging for the last few seasons. He isn’t a big scorer, but has some okay hands and is a good skater. He is the kind of safe, veteran presence you want in your lineup when you are bringing a bunch of young kids into the fold. Also his 3.7M cap hit balances off nicely with Lupul so the fit is a natural one.