Toronto Maple Leafs: 5 Ruminations From Around the NHL
By James Tanner
No Trades
There have been no trades so far this year in the NHL. This isn’t surprising, as teams usually like to wait a month or so to figure out what’s going on.
But with expected-to-do well teams like the Jets and Flyers struggling, I think you’ll start to see some action on this front. As teams fall behind, their UFA players become available, and the Leafs should be like vultures in this regard.
Besides Wayne Simmonds, who I talked about last week, Kevin Hayes is a good pick up from the Rangers if we’re talking forwards. Everyone wants a defenseman though, and the main team to keep an eye on here is the Panthers, because they have a player the Toronto Maple Leafs (one assumes) are/should be very keen on: Mark Pysyk.
If the Panthers continue to be terrible, maybe he would be available.
Pysyk is a 26 year old right-handed dman with two years remaining on a very cheap contract. He’s extremely good and he could fill the role of Ron Hainsey without the downside of being terrible at hockey. If the Panthers fall out of the race, which looks extremely likely right now, he would be a player you could reasonably expect to be available.
Another player, the Leafs could target is Mark Stone. Clearly he is awesome, and clearly he is not going to waste his prime on the rebuilding Senators. He’s a UFA and would be the JEWEL of the available UFA Crop (unless Columbus decides trading Panarin is an option). His cap hit wouldn’t matter too much in March and he’d be an insane upgrade on the likes of everyone on the Leafs except Marner and Nylander. And maybe Marner and Nylander. I mean, he’s THAT good.