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Toronto Maple Leafs Should Pursue Jordan Staal

By James Tanner

RALEIGH, NC - APRIL 7: Jordan Staal #11 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates for position on the ice during an NHL game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 7, 2018 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC - APRIL 7: Jordan Staal #11 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates for position on the ice during an NHL game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 7, 2018 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs should pursue Jordan Staal.

The Carolina Hurricanes centre would be a perfect fit if the Toronto Maple Leafs decide not move William Nylander to centre.

Frankly, as much as I’d love for that to happen (Nylander to centre, I mean) Jordan Staal provides an elite defensive presence that no one on the Leafs roster can currently come close to providing.  Nazem Kadri is perhaps my favorite player, but as a ‘shutdown centre’ he’s overrated and mis-deployed.  What a Kadri/Marner combo could do with sheltered, instead of intentionally tough minutes is something I’d very much like to see.

If they had Jordan Staal, that would happen.  Jordan Staal would provide the defensive abilities that teams need to win, and he’s allow the Leafs to maintain their excellent depth on the wings.  He probably wouldn’t cost much to acquire and his salary is manageable.

Jordan Staal

Staal is about to enter his age 30 season.  He is an elite defensive performer, who is as also a dominant possession player. He is consistent: you can pretty much write in his 20 goals and 45 points every year.

Staal’s contact pays him a reasonable $6 annually for four more years.

And that is why the Leafs can get him.  The Carolina Hurricanes are said to be open to moving most of their players.  They are not one of the NHL’s richest teams, so it makes sense to believe that they’d want to get out of the back half of an aging player’s contract.  Especially when it’s a $24 million dollar commitment.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a young team and they’ve got lots of Cap room. Staal costs only slightly more than Bozak was costing them, he provides the one thing that is strikingly absent from their roster (defensively competent forwards) and since his game isn’t based on speed and offense, he likely won’t decline much over the next four years.

Cost?

What would the cost be to acquire Staal? Probably cheaper than you think.  Taking $24 million off the books of the Hurricanes would probably drastically reduce the costs.  Throw in a pick or two, maybe a Connor Brown level player or prospect, and that’s probably good enough.  Staal is good, and they won’t give him away for free, but I can definitely see a situation where the biggest asset the Leafs would have to pay would be the money to assume the contract.

Next: Leafs Don't Need Tavares

No other player in the NHL fits the exact needs of the Toronto Maple Leafs like Jordan Staal does, and since he’s assumed to be available, this is something I can definitely see the Leafs pursuing.  Staal would give them the centre depth they need, and the defensive presence they’re desperate for.

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