The Toronto Maple Leafs need to upgrade their wing.
I’m sorry, but Patrick Marleau is not a first liner anymore. Connor Brown and Par Lindholm are OK, but not first-line quality. And, If the Toronto Maple Leafs want to take full advantage of what Nazem Kadri has to offer on the third line, they need to get him some better wingers. (To say nothing of Auston Matthews needing the same thing).
One of the best ways to upgrade your team is to look at players that are being undervalued in their current situation. For example, another team might try to snag Andreas Johnsson from the Leafs since it looks like Babcock has no use for him.
For the Leafs, two players they could target of a similar vein are Jesse Puljujarvi of the Edmonton Oilers, and Kevin Fiala of the Nashville Predators.
Jesse Puljujarvi
If I can learn to spell Nino Niederreitter, I can learn to spell Puljujarvi, and thus overcoming the only obstacle to acquiring this player.
He’s 6’4, only 20, has all the talent in the world and hasn’t really produced much at the NHL level. Why don’t the Oilers just attache him to McDavid and let him run wild? Who the hell knows why the Oilers do anything they do, but they are a terribly run organization with an incompetent General Manager ripe for ripping off.
A look at the advanced stats shows that Puljujarvi can be a great player because he is already excellent at controlled zone entries and exits (one of the things that makes William Nylander so good). He also puts up decent shot metrics.
If the Oilers are willing to sell low, or if they just want to move on I’d make this move. The Oilers need depth and they just healthy scratched Pupjujarvi. Classic Change of Scenery Scenario.
I say the Leafs should offer Connor Brown, Josh Leivo and a first round pick and see what they say. Remember, Puljujarvi wasn’t healthy scratched because he is bad, he’s healthy scratched because Todd McLellan has a limited number of days left as the Oilers coach and he is panicking and making bad decisions.
Kevin Fiala
The small but excellent Kevin Fiala was also healthy scratched this week. Despite an all-star level 54% possession rating, the Predators looked at his three points in ten games and sat him.
This is a player with a first-line stat line last year. 28 goals, 48 points, 22 years old, potential star player. What is going on and why was he healthy scratched? I have no idea, but if there is even a chance this player is available, the Toronto Maple Leafs need to make some phone calls.
The Predators General Manager, David Poile, is one of the best in the NHL and I highly doubt that he is unaware of what he has in Fiala, but it’s wroth a call. Even if it takes a really good prospect like Rasmus Sandin or Carl Grunstrom, plus Connor Brown and whoever, the price would be worth it.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in win now mode, but a really good way to win now without sacrificing the future is to trade for young players with upside they aren’t currently realizing. Imagine that you could give Kadri Kevin Fiala instead of Connor Brown and what that would do the Leafs as a team.
They wouldn’t just have three first line centres, they’d have three first lines.
stats from @shutdownline A3Z Two Year Player Comparison via Public Tableau.