The Toronto Maple Leafs have opened their season on an 8-3-0 tear, but even a hot start isn’t enough to quiet trade talk.
Perhaps the most entertaining part of fandom is speculating on potential trades. It’s basically all anyone uses Twitter for these days. Every fan can pinpoint an area in which their team needs improvement, and fantasizing about the outward reinforcements that could shore that weakness up is addicting.
So, the EIL staff put their heads together this week to answer one simple question:
If you were Kyle Dubas, who would be your preferred trade target right now?
Personally, my answer is a bit of a cop-out.
Harping on the Leafs’ glaring need for a top-4 RHD has become vogue since, well, forever, but it’s important to remember that players of that ilk don’t exactly grow on trees. A right-handed defenceman, especially one capable of handling top-pair minutes, is perhaps the most valuable asset in hockey today. The price Dubas would need to pay to pry one free is likely to be astronomical and could deplete the team’s commendable depth in other areas that will need to come in handy once the cap crunch truly hits.
So, if I’m Dubas, I don’t really have a preferred trade target right now. Would it be nice to snag Mark Pysyk from the Panthers or Brett Pesche from the Hurricanes? Absolutely. But surrendering a first-round pick or a prospect to do so just doesn’t seem worth it, especially when considering the internal options already at play.
Take, for instance, Rasmus Sandin, who made his AHL debut for the Marlies on Friday after spending the first four weeks of the season nursing a thumb injury and proceeded to look like nothing but a seasoned vet. He may be further along in his development than fans, and even the team, initially thought.
Timothy Liljegren, as well, is gradually making strides as a sophomore. There have certainly been some hiccups early on for the 19-year-old Swede, but the bulk of that can be attributed to the departures of Martin Marincin and Justin Holl, losses which have heaped some heavy responsibilities on Liljegren’s shoulders. He’s, expectedly, taking some time to adjust to it.
And don’t forget the likes of Sean Durzi and Mac Hollowell either, both right-handed 2018 draft picks currently playing in the OHL, who have torn through their competition so far, respectively.
None of the names listed above will be NHL ready this season, but that doesn’t mean Dubas should panic now and sell the future for short-term gain. The Leafs are doing fine as is, have some internal options to pick from and, if they’re patient, could ice a talented and homegrown blueline in a few years time.