Toronto Maple Leafs Roundtable: Post-Muzzin Moves
The Toronto Maple Leafs finally addressed their struggling defence corps on Monday and acquired Jake Muzzin.
So, now what? The Leafs got their biggest piece, the one they’ve needed since the days of Tomas Kaberle, and appear to sit in a prime position for an extended Stanley Cup run in June. Nevertheless, we’re still less than a month out from the trade deadline, which means that further moves can be made.
What will they be? Well, that’s precisely what the EIL staff put their heads together to figure out. This week’s roundtable question is:
With Jake Muzzin in the fold, do the Leafs need to make another move?
The answers, as always, may shock you.
My Opinion
Personally, I don’t think any further moves are required, per se, but a tweak or two certainly couldn’t hurt.
Heading into a playoff series with Nikita Zaitsev in your top-4 is not the best position for any team to be in, let alone the Leafs, and an upgrade on the right side could certainly prove useful if things end up going down to the wire against, say, the Bruins.
The most likely candidate to fill this role would be Radko Gudas. The hulking blueliner has been nothing but a solid contributor for the Flyers during a trying organizational year, as his sterling 53.7 CF/60 at 5v5 demonstrates. Gudas would be exactly what this Leafs team needs. Few defenders are capable of impacting the game to the physical degree Gudas does while simultaneously producing the same dazzling possession numbers.
Gudas, more or less, embodies the cohesion of both the old-school and analytical mindsets.
Not to mention, Gudas wouldn’t serve as a mere rental, either. His contract actually carries an extra year of term on it – exactly what Dubas has publically declared he wants – while his cap hit comes in at a reasonable $3.35 million.
The financials would be tight, especially heading into next year, but there’s little doubt that Dubas & co. could make it work if they truly saw fit.
As for what you’d need to give up to get Gudas? Well, that’s where things get tricky. The Leafs already surrendered their 1st rounder in the Muzzin deal – a decision which now leaves only two avenues: either deplete from an already thin pipeline or subtract tangible pieces from the active roster.
Neither option is all that tantalizing. But, then again, you need to give something to get something. Regardless, the Leafs could stand pat as they are now and likely be fine.
Josh Lawrence
Personally, I would be fine if they didn’t do anything other than call up Trevor Moore, scratch Lindholm, and glue Connor Brown to the 4RW position.
A fourth line consisting of Moore-Gauthier-Brown would be one of the best fourth lines in the league, arguably the best. If I’m being honest I think Moore would play his way up the lineup if given the chance to remain with the big boys, I’m sure my editor will agree with that one.
However, if they were to make a move, I would prefer a one for one trade.
As much as I love them, I don’t see the Leafs being able to keep both Kapanen and Johnsson. They are weaker on the left than on the right and Kapanen’s play this season both increases his trade value as well as the asking price of his upcoming contract.
I think a trade for Josh Anderson would be a great move. He’s locked in this year and next for 1.85 million. Kapanen will be asking for around 4-5 million AAV, in my opinion. Josh Anderson has 16 goals and 8 assists playing primarily with Boone Jenner and Nick Foligno on the third line. His production is all but guaranteed to increase by a good amount here. Kapanen has 15 goals and 15 assists having bounced between Auston Matthews and Nazem Kadri.
Kapanen may have more of an upside offensively but Anderson’s goal totals have been steadily increasing over the last season and is on pace for a career-high 39 points this season. He is cheaper than Connor Brown and will cost less than half that of Kapanen on a long-term contract. Anderson also instantly becomes our most physical player and would lead the team in hits. He’s gritty, can put the puck in the net, and he’s cheap.
I think this move although may not be liked, may put the Leafs in a better position, this season and next.
Nick Barden
The best move I think the Leafs can make at this point is to wait. And when I mean wait, I mean, don’t spend at the trade deadline, don’t even spend in the summer (yes, maybe try and get rid of the Nikita Zaitsev contract), but in terms of trades for a possible defenseman, I say wait.
The Leafs have two future top 4 defensemen in Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin, who some say could both fit on the team next season. Now, I do think Liljegren does have the edge as he is a right-handed shot, but Sandin has been progressing at a very fast rate.
That also depends on whether or not they trade Zaitsev and if they re-sign Jake Gardiner, which is also a possibility. But you have to preach patience because I know that if Kyle Dubas doesn’t see anything he likes, I’m sure he’s comfortable in waiting.
The Leafs have enough forward depth and defensive depth (who are more ready next year) to make a playoff run. Liljegren and possibly Sandin would be ready, but also, so would Calle Rosen.
So, in terms of trading any more key pieces for a “defenseman” that is under contract for maybe a year or two, wouldn’t make sense compared to getting Sandin and Liljegren on entry-level deals for 3 years. I think if they wait, they would have a better chance at making it to the Stanley Cup Finals and winning it, but again, that’s up to Kyle Dubas and management, and whichever decision they make.
Matthew Rodrigopulle
The Leafs needed a top-four defenceman for a long time now and that’s exactly what they got in Jake Muzzin. But hold your horses, the Leafs shouldn’t be planning their parade yet.
Although the Leafs forward core is looking as sharp as it has ever been, their defence, even with Muzzin, is another story. The defensive core in particular looks like it could still use some improvements and with the deadline looming, the Leafs need to work soon.
In my opinion, the Leafs truly have one major blemish on the blue line still. That comes in the form of Nikita Zaitsev. Zaitsev has been inconsistent for a while now and his contract is looking worse every day. On top of that, his no-trade clause kicks in next season, which puts even more pressure on the Leafs to ship him out now, before the situation gets any worse.
Simply put, there is one defenceman I want the Leafs to really push for.
That defenceman is none other than Radko Gudas. Gudas is on an expiring contract that the Leafs can afford easily. Philadelphia isn’t a contender so they’re going to want to move him out soon, albeit for a cheaper price if they get desperate. The Leafs could probably acquire him for a low pick and maybe even try to dump Zaitsev if possible. The defensive aspect of his game is definitely impressive and he would bring a lot to a Leafs team that needs to be able to shut down players.
I think the Leafs should focus on him as the deadline approaches.
James Tanner
Now that the Toronto Maple Leafs have picked up Jake Muzzin, I don’t believe that they should be done making moves.
The fact is, with Marner and Matthews on the final year of their ELC deals, the Leafs need to go all-in this year and regroup in the summer. If that means pushing the bonus allotments to max out cap space, then so be it. This is a chance that will never come again.
The player I want the Leafs to target is Jacob Silfverberg of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.
Silfverberg is a versatile winger who can play the left side (where the Leafs are weak) and he is an elite defensive forward. The Leafs do not have an elite defensive forward and obviously one would really help out.
Silfverberg and Muzzin would shore up the Leafs tendency to always be outshot. This is a no-brainer addition – he’s a cheap pending UFA who wouldn’t cost much to add and he is exactly what the team is missing
Next. Top Ten Prospects Part Two. dark
Thanks for reading!
Stats courtesy of hockeyreference.com
Salary info courtesy of capfriendly.com