Toronto Maple Leafs Rumours and Speculation: Trade Targets

Chris Tanev

I have personally written about Chris Tanev more times than I’d like to admit to.  The reason for that is because no other player is a better fit for the Leafs right now than Tanev.

• 28 years old i.e in his prime.
• Shoots right handed.
• Has two years left on his contract after this one.
• Is one of the best defensive defenseman in the NHL
• Makes a very reasonable $4.5 against the Cap.
• Plays on a rebuilding team (meaning he’s likely available).
• Wouldn’t cost a ton to acquire.

People like to say that ‘top pairing defenseman aren’t available for trade’ but what they really mean is that if you want Drew Doughty (or a reasonable facsimile) you need to draft him.  That’s true.

But there are maybe 10 Doughty-esque hockey players currently active in the NHL.  There are 62 top pairing defenseman, however.  (You know, each team has two and there are 31 teams).

If you want to acquire a defenseman who ranks anywhere from 20th best to 62nd best, you can do so.  Tanev definitely qualifies.  He’d pair with Morgan Rielly to form the best top pairing the Leafs have had in at least a decade.  He is among the best shot-suppressors in the NHL and, wouldn’t you know it, that’s the Leafs main weakness.

Finally, the main reason to get him is this:  His contract runs for the same length of time as Patrick Marleau’s, and if you don’t think the Leafs sold Marleau on a potential Stanley Cup during those three years, you’re nuts.

– James Tanner

Contract: $4.5 for two years after this.

Pros:  Everything.

Cons:  Injury prone. (Though all hockey players are.  He has no chronic problem).  Is currently out with a fracture in his leg, should be back in three weeks.

We (as in EIL) Would Pay:  Connor Brown + a 1st.

Recommendation:  Do it.

Mark Letestu

I don’t think the Leafs are going to be overly active at the deadline, except for maybe a few small moves. And among those small moves is a trade for Mark Letestu.

Despite all of their luck in recent memory with the draft lottery, the Oilers still can’t seem to figure it out, and it looks like they will be selling yet again this year. Among the players they could deal is Letestu. Letestu is a natural centre who could fit in perfectly on the Toronto Maple Leafs fourth line.

He’s solid defensively and can chip in offense every now and then too. If this move were to happen, it would ultimately put Dominic Moore on the bench, however that’s not a bad thing.  Moore is a veteran who can still make his presence known in the dressing room and suit up upon injury, but he’s 36 and the Leafs need a better 4th line option.

Depth is always important for a playoff team, and Letestu would only improve that depth. The Toronto Maple Leafs have gone on an incredible stretch over these past few games where they’ve won 10 of their past 12 games, and at this point I don’t think the Leafs should make any drastic moves that would alter the chemistry of the team.

Adding depth here and there is all I feel like the Leafs should be doing at this point, whereas the bigger moves should be saved for the off-season. In the end, I think Mark Letestu could very well be this year’s Brian Boyle come playoff time.

-Alex Hobson

Contract: one more year beyond this @ $1.8 cap hit.

Pros:  Potentially slight upgrade on Moore.

Cons:  Negative Corsi relative to current team.

We Would Pay:   A late draft pick.

Recommendation:  We’d rather not, but he is superior to L. Glendening.

Ryan McDonagh

Ever since the Ryan McDonagh rumors began to pick up steam, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been named as a possible destination for the Rangers captain.

McDonagh would serve as a boost for Toronto’s blue line, but questions remain as to whether or not he would be an appropriate fit for the club. He could potentially embrace a leadership role which is, more often than not, welcomed by any team that flaunts a plethora of young talent.

The Leafs search for a top-four defenseman continues to crop up, however many will argue that filling a gap on the blue line is not Toronto’s first priority. The prospective of seeking out a deal for McDonagh will be narrowed down to one denominator; the price of acquisition that Toronto will be expected to dish out.

The Rangers captain would most likely cost the Leafs a quality asset and then some. With the recent breakthrough of Travis Dermott’s talents on the back end, Toronto’s blue line isn’t in critical condition. Sure, there is room for improvement and Ryan McDonagh could be the one to fill it.

McDonagh will be a restricted free agent after next season and he will be expecting a deal worth $45-50 million over the course of seven or eight years. The NHL trade deadline often generates bidding wars, especially when contract-hungry defensemen come knocking. If the Maple Leafs are willing to open their arms to Ryan McDonagh, they would be wise to consider the impact that the loss of a current asset could have in the long run, especially if his abilities would merely be a short-term solution.

-Alan Downward

Contract: one more year beyond this @ a bargain $4.7 million.

Pros:  Elite All-Star potentially hall of famer defenseman. Would be the Leafs best defenseman, and one of the best to ever wear the blue and white.

Cons:  Extremely expensive to acquire and to re-sign.  Is left handed.

We Would Pay:   Don’t want to think about what this would cost.

Recommendation:  If you could do it while retaining both Nylander and Marner, it’d be something to consider.  The addition of McDonugh would potentially give the Leafs the best roster in the NHL.  Cost seems high though.

Mike Green

Mike Green is probably the most coveted rental option for the blue line during the trade deadline.

A pending UFA,  Mike Green playing with a playoff contending team would give him the opportunity to prove his worth for his upcoming free agency status. Green, who is a veteran player with 76 playoff games under his belt, could be a nice asset to acquire at the trade deadline.

Being a right-shot defenseman, Green could be a nice asset for the top-pairing with Morgan Rielly or for the second pairing alongside Jake Gardiner. Mike Green is  mainly an offensive asset on the blue-line, though his Hero Chart (ownthepuck.blogspot.ca) puts him at a six of ten as shot-suppression.

There is no question the Detroit Red Wings are selling at the trade deadline, so they will probably be looking for draft picks and prospects in return.

Mike Green is probably the most coveted rental option for the blue line during the trade deadline. Signed through the 2017 – 2018 season, for Mike Green playing with a playoff contending team would give him the opportunity to prove his worth for his upcoming free agency status. Green, who is a veteran player with 76 playoff games under his belt, could be a nice asset to acquire at the trade deadline. Being a right-shot defenseman, Green could be a nice asset for the top-pairing with Morgan Rielly or for the second pairing alongside Jake Gardiner. Mike Green is however mainly an offensive asset on the blue-line. The Toronto Maple Leafs, however, should be looking into the shutdown defenseman, one that compliments the play of Morgan Rielly. Mike Green is with his height of 186cm and weight of 94KG able to hold his own, but can’t be seen as the physical shut-down presence the Toronto Maple Leafs so obviously need. There is no question the Detroit Red Wings are selling at the trade deadline, so they will probably be looking for draft picks and prospects in return. The Toronto Maple Leafs should at any time keep their first-round pick to themselves, but giving up a second-round pick and a prospect of the Marlies roster (say Andrew Nielsen), might be a deal both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings could consider.

-Wilbert Timmermans

Contract: Pending UFA

Pros:  Great puck mover, decent defensively. Right handed.  He’s like a slightly less offensive and slightly less defensive Jake Gardiner.

Cons:   none, other than not being Chris Tanev or Ryan McDonagh.

We Would Pay:   Second Rounder.

Recommendation:  With Gardiner, Reilly, Zaitsev and Dermott the Leafs have a lot of puck movers, but can you ever have too many? No you can’t.  If you can’t get Tanev, Green is a nice fallback play.

Tyson Barrie

Tyson Barrie is not the typical rental a team could and would acquire at the trade deadline. He is, however, a very interesting player for teams.

Being only 26 years old, Tyson Barrie is a right-shot defenseman with a huge offensive upside. He carries a contract averaging 5.5M per year, which is affordable looking at his point production. The former 64th overall pick from the 2009 NHL entry-draft has developed into a solid two-way defenseman that can provide a team with elite offensive production.

Tyson Barrie would be a valuable asset on any teams blue-line in production and on the PowerPlay. The Colorado Avalanche are not actively shopping Tyson Barrie, but according to reports, they are willing to listen if someone makes an interesting offer. Due to his long-term contract, the Avalanche will be looking for more than some prospect and draft-picks.

-Wilbert Timmermans

Contract:  Two more years after this @$5.5

Pros:  Great puck mover.  Elite offense. Right handed.

Cons:   Terrible defensively.  Expensive to pay and acquire.

We Would Pay:   We wouldn’t.

Recommendation:  I can’t see a situation where the package that would land you Barrie wouldn’t also land you Tanev, who is a much, much better fit.  Zero interest in Barrie.

Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson is a formerly decent  two-way defenseman who, with his physique of225lbs, is a physical presence on the blue-line. Or at least he should be, but I don’t recall hearing too many people talk about it.

Jack Johnson has requested to be traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Johnson stated that he wants to be traded to a team where he can play top minutes. Good luck with that, dude.

Currently, the Blue Jackets are one point from a playoff spot, so they are not your typical sellers. In fact, they’re a really good, deep team that has been playing well and not getting the results they deserve.  They will want something in return that could help them secure a playoff spot. Why anyone would give them that for Johnson is beyond me, but it’s not impossible that it happens.

-WilbertTimmermans

Contract:  Pending Unrestricted Free Agent.

Pros:  Isn’t named ‘Roman’  and has a different surname than ‘Polak.’

Cons:   Leafs have a minimum of 12 better options in their organization. Possibly more.  No exaggeration, either.

We Would Pay:   We wouldn’t claim him on waivers.

Recommendation:  We would rather listen to the awful folk singer with the same name than ever see Jack Johnson the hockey player on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Max Domi

If the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to scoop up some young talent, they could go hunting in the desert and see if they can swing a deal for Max Domi.

For those who are young or don’t remember, Domi’s father Tie was a popular enforcer for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 90s. He was well liked by the fans and proved to be a great agitator and enforcer for the Leafs.

His son, Max,  is better skilled in the offensive zone than Tie was. Since Max’s NHL debut in 2015, he has totaled 31 goals and 85 assists in 199 games for the Arizona Coyotes. This season has been a rather unfortunate one for Max. He has 4 goals and 22 assists in 58 games that his bordering on the BUST label.

It might not be Max’s fault that he’s having a down year. The Coyotes just don’t have a well rounded roster. Then again, who else would give him so much ice time when he has four goals on the year?  Last week, the Coyotes had him centering the second line and he was being paired with Zac Rinaldo. Now, he’s on the third line with Richard Panik and Tobias Rieder.  Not sure how any of that is going to help, but coach Rick Tocchett has been a disaster in every way conceivable, so who knows what he is thinking.

Lamoriello might be scared of Domi’s down year, but he shouldn’t be. Domi has shown that he can be pivotal in the offensive zone in a NHL Lineup. Unfortunately, the cost for Domi will likely be an expensive one, even if his game is currently in the toilet.

-Josh Tessler

Contract:  Pending RFA.

Pros:  Tons of offensive potential.

Cons:   Personality.  Related to Tie Domi.  Terrible at defense.

We Would Pay:   Worth a call if they’re giving up on him, but not going to be willing to pay what they’d probably ask.

Recommendation:  While Josh really wants him, I have to say I wouldn’t be interested in adding another winger to this lineup unless the cost was extremely team friendly for the Leafs.

Antoine Vermette

One of the newest names that have been added to TSN’s Trade Bait list is Antoine Vermette. Vermette, a native of Saint-Agapit, Quebec is a veteran centreman. He’s played for the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks and now the Anaheim Ducks.

Vermette used to be a strong second line centre, five or six years ago. This season, Vermette has 8 goals and 8 assists in 58 games. Over the past few weeks, I have mentioned several options for the Toronto Maple Leafs to look at for the whole on the fourth line. Vermette could be a good fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs at fourth line centre. He’d be a strong fit with rookie forward, Kasperi Kapanen and provide Kapanen with a solid veteran playmaker.

The good news for the Toronto Maple Leafs is that Vermette is in the last year of his current deal and the Anaheim Ducks won’t be able to command too much for his services. Lou Lamoriello could perhaps net Vermette for a late round pick in next year’s draft.

-Josh Tessler

Contract:  Pending UFA.

Pros:  Faceoffs.

Cons:   Should have retired years ago.  The Roman Polak of centres.

We Would Pay:   You couldn’t pay me to take him.

Recommendation:   Dominic Moore is probably better at this point.

Rick Nash

A few weeks back, Rick Nash, submitted his 12-team trade list to the New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs were listed.

Nash ultimately wants a shot to win the Stanley Cup and grew up in the Toronto area. In the past, the Toronto Maple Leafs have brought home legend after legend from the province of Ontario. They’ve acquired and signed stars like Curtis Joseph, Jason Allison, Dave Andreychuk, Owen Nolan, Joe Nieuwendyk and more. The question is, is Nash worth bringing back to Toronto?

There are pros and cons. Let’s start with the cons. Nash hasn’t had more than 40 points since his 2014-2015 campaign with the Rangers.  In addition, the Toronto Maple Leafs truly don’t need another winger. As of late, the Toronto Maple Leafs have had a ton of success from their wingers including James van Riemsdyk, Mitch Marner and Kasperi Kapanen.  Nash carries a 7.8 million cap hit, although he is a pending unrestricted free agent.

I know the cons don’t make Nash appealing, but there are some pros. Nash is an excellent hockey player. He still drives possession and scores like a fiend at even strength. He has 14 goals at 5v5 this season, which puts him top 30, but that is misleading: two 5v5 goals will put him in the top ten.

-Josh Tessler

Contract:  Pending UFA.

Pros:  Scores a lot of goals. Drives possession. Is Rick Nash.

Cons:  Leafs have a lot of wingers.

We Would Pay:   He’s worth a top price for a rental, but do the Leafs really need what he provides?

Recommendation:  Adding a player as good as Rick Nash can never hurt. As much as the Leafs are deep at wing, he’s still an upgrade over Hyman, Brown, Komarov, Martin, Kapanen, and Marleau.  If the Leafs added a top pairing defenseman, the addition of Rick Nash might put them over the top.

Jason Demers

Jason Demers is one of the NHL’s most underrated players.  He is 29, shoots right and signed at a reasonable $4.5 for the next three years after this one.  If the Toronto Maple Leafs traded for him, they’d be getting a ton of value. (*Assuming a reasonable cost of acquisition).

Demers is a puck mover who always keeps the other team from getting less shot-attempts than his team gets.  He is good for 20-30 points and guaranteed great defense.  He would be a decent upgrade over Ron Hainsey on the Leafs top pairing.

What he lacks in name-brand cache, Demers makes up for in solid consistency.  He can help drive possession and limit shots, which is exactly what the Leafs need.  He is currently on the Coyotes and the Coyotes are a team in disarray.  For a team as far away from contending as Arizona, Demers is nothing but an expensive and declining asset.  They’ll get the most for him now than they ever will, and even stand to make a bit of a profit on him.  In fact, they could make a huge profit since the Panthers sent him to Arizona for Jamie McGinn, in one of the worst trades in recent memory.

-Tanner

Contract:  3 more years @ $4.5

Pros: Great defensively, drives possession, limits shots, scores a bit. Right handed.

Cons:  None.

We Would Pay:   Second rounder and B level prospect.

Recommendation:  If Chris Tanev proves to be too expensive and/or injured, the Toronto Maple Leafs could do a lot worse than trading for Demers, who would be the Leafs best right-handed defenseman.

Zack Smith

While the rumors surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs mainly focus on their “allegedly” weak blue-line, the Toronto Maple Leafs could also use someone down the middle.  Especially with the likely departure of Bozak and Moore next season.

It is here that Zack Smith comes into the picture. A solid two-way centre with an affordable contract that runs through the 2020 – 2021 season averaging $3.250 million. With Ottawa likely hitting a rebuild button, they would be willing to Trade Zack Smith away for prospects and draft picks.

Zack Smith would be perfect to replace Dominic Moore at the fourth line for the Leafs playoff run. He’s always been above 50% CF for his career, for the most part.  This year he isn’t, but is at least a positive possession player relative to his team.  While he probably won’t ever score 25 goals again, his goal totals this year are impacted by having only a 5% shooting-percentage at 5v5.

Smith would make a good depth option, but he’s expensive for a fourth line centre and not much of an upgrade on Bozak (if he’s one at all).  He’d be a great add for this playoff run, but the contract length is concerning.

-WilbertTimmermans

Contract:  Three  more years @ $3.25

Pros:  Can score, would provide depth, 

Cons:  At 29 and locked in for three more years, most likely there are better options.

We Would Pay:  N/A

Recommendation:  We don’t think Smith is a great option for the Leafs.

Erik Gunderson

Erik Gudbranson is a name that was linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs for quite some time now. Luckily, and praise the hockey gods for this miracle, Gudbranson has just signed an extension with the Vancouver Canucks.

We had a whole post on what a bad move getting Gudbranson would be for the Leafs, but now it is not necessary.  Along with the Bruins trading for Nick Holden, the Leafs yesterday got better just by the moves of other teams.  With no chance of adding Nick Holden or Erick Gudbranson, the Leafs are saved from making potentially bad moves.  Like in the summer when they failed to trade JVR for Travis Hamonic, sometimes its the moves you don’t make that are best.

. Gudbranson is an overrated defenseman, and he was not going to be a good fit with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The  Leafs could use a defensive upgrade, no doubt, but hopefully they will target a player whose game translates well to this decade.

– Wilbert Timmermans

Contract:  N/A Re- Signed in Vancouver

Pros:  Probably a nice guy.

Cons:  No longer necessary to list them.

We Would Pay:  A polite thank you note, from Leafs Nation to Jim Benning.

Recommendation:  Send the note.

Nik Hjalmarsson

The Arizona Coyotes will likely be moving a bunch of contracts come deadline day including defenseman, Niklas Hjalmarsson.

Last offseason, the Coyotes acquired Hjalmarsson by trade from the Chicago Blackhawks. The Coyotes parted with Connor Murphy and Laurent Dauphin to land Hjalmarsson. Their intention was to shore up their top 2 defensive pairings and wanted a strong veteran presence on the blue line.

After moving to the desert, Hjalmarsson hasn’t been the same defenseman that he was in the Windy City, most likely due to injury. Currently, Hjalmarsson has the worst corsi-for percentage of his career and only has five points in 33 games. Since Hjalmarsson hasn’t been stellar in Arizona, perhaps he’ll be on the way out come deadline day.

Hjalmarsson could benefit from a change in scenery and potentially the Toronto skyline could bode well for him. Prior to the Arizona-Chicago trade, Hjalmarsson was a top four two-way defenseman. In his prime he was one of, if not the best defensive defenseman in the NHL.  If Lou Lamoriello is interesting in adding a veteran presence on the blue-line, Hjalmarsson would be a great fit.

The only issue would be his contract. Hjalmarsson carries a 4.1 million cap hit for this season and next season.

-JoshTessler

Contract:  Two more years @ $4.1

Pros:  Used to be awesome.

Cons:  Possibly loss of awesomeness.

We Would Pay:  Not very much.

Recommendation:  Expecting players over 30 to turn it around is a fools game.  It might sometimes happen, but it’s not worth the risk, since it usually doesn’t.  If Hjalmarsson wasn’t on the books for another two years, we’d be more interested.

Luke Glendening

Mike Stephens wrote about Luke Glendening the other day, when rumours ramped up about him coming to Toronto.  It was, of course, one of the worst Toronto Maple Leafs rumours ever.  This is what he said, and all you need to know:

Have you ever wondered, “what if Dominic Moore was roughly twice as expensive and under contract for another three years?”. If you have, allow me to introduce you to Glendening.

The fear among Leafs fans is that the Leafs will try to placate Mike Babcock by giving him this player, who he played a ton in Detroit and who he purportedly is a big fan of.  The reason this scares people is because Mike Babcock always gets what he wants (or so it seems) but Luke Glendening happens to be terrible.

A defensive player for whom no evidence exists that he is a good defensive player.

A terrible contract.

And, to boot, the Leafs are stacked with players who could easily out play Glendening.

Here’s Mike with more:

At least with Moore, the Leafs can simply let him walk on July 1st. With Glendening, you’re saddled with him until 2020-21. Yikes. In fact, Glendening is not just a comparable to Moore, he’s a downgrade. His possession numbers are putrid. According to HockeyReference, Glendening currently rocks a 44.5% CF/60 at 5v5 this season, coming in as the second-highest total of his career. To put that in perspective, Frederik Gauthier posted a 46.8% in 21 games last season and was crucified for it.

As you can see, this is about as good an idea as televised bowling.

-James Tanner (with Mike Stephens)

Contract:  Too much and too long.

Pros: Makes Babcock happy.

Cons:  Ungood hockeying.

We Would Pay  Detroit to keep him.

Recommendation:  Tell Babcock you acquired him, then give Miro Altonnen a Glendening jersey and have him centre the fourth line.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on Jean-Gabriel Pageau and why the Toronto Maple Leafs should swing a trade with the Ottawa Senators to grab him at the deadline.

Pageau, hasn’t been an offensive super-star but hasn’t been effectively used in Ottawa’s lineup. Currently, Pageau is being paired with Magnus Paajarvi and Tom Pyatt. Neither Paajarvi nor Pyatt put up outstanding offensive numbers. They are third-line grinders. If Toronto decided to grab Pageau and play him with Kasperi Kapanen and Leo Komarov, the Leafs would have a dominant fourth line.

Pageau has shown promise in the NHL. In his 2015-2016 campaign, he registered 19 goals and 24 assists in a full 82 game season. Unfortunately for Pageau, he has failed to match this 2015-2016 campaign since. At the moment, he has 8 goals and 12 assists in 54 games for the Senators. It’s remarkable that he’s put up 20 points given his line-mates’ skill-sets. He has been a negative possession player every year since his rookie year, relative to his team.

What could make Pageau intriguing for Toronto is that he could be a good fill-in on the third line next season. In all likelihood, Tyler Bozak won’t be returning next season.  That said, Pageau isn’t close to as good as Bozak. Pageau carries a $3.1 million dollar cap hit for the next three seasons.

-JoshTessler

Contract:  Too much and too long.

Pros:  Might be an OK 4th line centre.

Cons: Contract extends for too long, is too expensive for a 4C.

We Would Pay: A late round pick with salary retention.

Recommendation:  Pass.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been a trade target for many years, a high-end offensive talent on the blueline, stuck on a losing franchise. Still, as far as Toronto Maple Leafs rumours go, it’s a fun one.

Ekman-Larsson, who was drafted by the Arizona 6th overall in the 2009 NHL draft, and has become one of the best players in the NHL.  He is massively underrated due to playing on a terrible team for his entire career.

Currently carrying a sweetheart contract averaging $5.5 million per year, Ekman-Larsson is signed through the 2018 – 2019 season. It is likely that he will be looking for a big raise for his new contract, considering he will be at his prime when eligible for resigning.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been linked to Oliver Ekman-Larsson countless of times, but a deal between Arizona and Toronto seems unlikely. There is no way the Coyotes would do a Marner for OEL deal (not that the Leafs would either) so that should give you some idea of what it would cost to get him.

This is basically a pipe-dream, but one can only  imagine how awesome it would be to have OEL on the Leafs blue line.

-WilbertTimmermans

Contract:  Extremely Team Friendly.

Pros: He’s comparable to Doughty, Karlsson and Hedman.

Cons: He would cost too much to trade for.

We Would Pay: Nothing. If you’re confident in Dermot, Rielly and Liljegren going forward, there’s no need for this.

Recommendation: The cost makes it untenable, but damn would he look good in the Blue and White.

NIck Shore

Before being traded to the Ottawa Senators for Dion Phaneuf, centre Nick Shore was often linked as a possible fit for the Toronto Maple leafs.

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Nick Shore would be a huge improvement of Dominic Moore at the fourt-line centre position. A solid possession driving player who doesn’t score much, Shore is an ideal 4th line player.  Shore carries a very attractive contract for buyers at the deadline, meaning that Ottawa might still flip him to gather more draft picks.

A pending UFA, he fits on almost any roster. Since he has just a couple of months left on his contract, Ottawa might accept a deal involving a draft pick in the upcoming 2018 or 2019 draft. Then again, he’s a valuable player and they may elect to re-sign him, since he’s only 25.

If not for this season, Lou should keep Shore on his mind for a possible signing in free agency this summer. Shore would be an improvement over Dominic Moore. He’s younger, faster and can still become a better player.

Shore is a defense-only player who seems to drive possession and always keep the puck moving in the right direction.  He may yet develop into an elite defensive forward.  Since he doesn’t score, he’ll never cost too much and would be an ideal fourth line centre, especially since during important minutes he can move up and play a shut-down role, unlike most fourth line centres who are basically space-fillers.

-WilbertTimmermans

Contract:  Pending UFA.

Pros: Proven possession driver.

Cons: Doesn’t score much.

We Would Pay: a 3rd rounder.

Recommendation:  We think this would be a solid add for the Leafs.

Next: Leafs Philosophy at the Trade Deadline

This concludes our exhausting look at the players we think the Toronto Maple Leafs might look at or who been rumoured to joining the team (which is basically everyone in the NHL, since it’s Toronto).

Thanks for reading.

Stats from Naturalstattrick.com

Salary information from capfriendly.com