The Toronto Maple Leafs are going for the Stanley Cup in 2018-19.
Any thought that this would be a long and careful rebuild went out the window when the Toronto Maple Leafs signed John Tavares on July 1st. Tavares will be 28 when this season starts, and while he’ll most likely continue on as one of the NHL’s best players for the duration of his contract, he’s never going to be as good as he is today.
Auston Matthews is entering his third season, and will be 21. It’s probable that his best, or “peak” season will occur either this season or next. But this is the year when he will (along with Marner) continue to have a low cap hit relative to his skill.
Add in all the cap space, the combination of youth, experience, and players in their primes who aren’t getting any better (Gardiner, Andersen, Kadri, Rielly) and this is clearly the year the Leafs will have their best chance to win.
Timothy Liljegren and the Toronto Maple Leafs
If Timothy Liljegren is ready to step into the NHL out of training camp this year, then the Leafs will be filling their weakest position with an ELC player with a very small cap hit. This will be a huge advantage for them, and they should proceed accordingly.
If, however, they do not think Liljegren is ready, then he instantly becomes their biggest trade chip.
The Leafs have Rasmus Sandin and Travis Dermott in the fold, so they wouldn’t be completely lacking in the young defenseman category if they moved LIljegren.
While this organizational depth won’t help them win this year, it’s certainly a boon for the future. But if these players NHL maturity doesn’t line up with the rest of the team’s timeline, trading one of them to improve now makes the most sense.
Obviously I don’t want to trade Liljegren, and I suspect this will be a terribly unpopular idea. You do, however, have to give up something of value in order to improve your team. If Liljegren isn’t going to be a part of the team that has the best chance to win, then he’s their best chance to make the best use of that cap room.
Timothy Liljegren packaged with a first round pick or two is a massive package that can probably secure the Leafs any rental they want to go with.
With Sandin and Dermott, and all the rest of the team’s picks and prospects, they really wouldn’t be set back too far as it relates to competing beyond next year. To me, it’s a bit of a high risk, high reward play, but aligns with the Leafs best chance to win next year and the team is strong enough to overcome the loss of organizational youth.
I know that no one wants to part with the team’s best prospect, but the fact remains that if the Toronto Maple Leafs want to give themselves the best chance to win a Stanley Cup, this is the most obvious move for them to make.