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Toronto Maple Leafs: Trade Deadline Shopping List

By Matthew Rodrigopulle

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Jan 1, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs players line up along the blue line for opening ceremonies prior to playing Detroit Red Wings during the Centennial Classic ice hockey game at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs players line up along the blue line for opening ceremonies prior to playing Detroit Red Wings during the Centennial Classic ice hockey game at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

Prospects

The Leafs are already loaded on prospects. We all know this. But having more prospects can never hurt. The Leafs are building for the future here. We might be shooting for the playoffs this season, but if long-term success is what management is seeking, they have to keep an abundance of prospects in line to be called up each year.

In a few years, salary cap problems will make it difficult to keep all roster players together. The reality is that some players may need to leave the roster and some may join. By creating this depth with prospects, the Leafs will be a team that will always have skillful players to come up whenever they need to, while being cheap.

The Leafs should not make acquiring prospects a priority heading into the trade deadline, but they should be aware of acquiring some if they are available in return for replaceable assets. The Leafs are sellers after all, not buyers.

Some players that can be swapped for prospects include rental players like Roman Polak, Brooks Laich, Milan Michalek, and Colin Greening. These players’ contracts will be ending at the end of this season, and another playoff team might be looking to acquire them in exchange for prospects.

Stockpile Draft Picks

The Leafs may be improving, but hey, this whole rebuild thing is a long-term plan after all. Other than acquiring prospects from other teams, the Leafs should also be looking to select some themselves. Every great rebuild is built through the draft, and therefore, the Leafs will need a good amount of draft picks at hand always. You never know when your next star or utility player will come out of a late round choice, so it’s important to keep those picks loaded to keep the system depthful and young.

The Leafs have a few players they should be looking to shed for some draft picks, if not prospects. Roman Polak is probable trade bait, similar to how he was last season. After being traded last year to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for second-round picks in 2017 and 2018, Polak resigned with the Leafs in the offseason on a one-year contract. This allows him to be a perfect rental addition to a playoff team in which he can perhaps fetch a similar return.

Similar to Polak are other rental players mentioned before. Selling high on these players is what the Leafs should be looking to do.

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