Toronto Maple Leafs: 5 Quick Trade Deadline Predictions

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 15: Radko Gudas #3 of the Philadelphia Flyers stretches during warm-ups against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on April 15, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 15: Radko Gudas #3 of the Philadelphia Flyers stretches during warm-ups against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on April 15, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Toronto Maple Leafs have  until Monday at three PM to add to their roster via trade.

The NHL deadline is Monday and the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have already acquired Jake Muzzin, are predicted to be fairly quiet.

Punxsutawny Dreger has apparently seen his shadow, and all forecasts for the Leafs on deadline day call for a quite one.

And this makes sense: the Leafs – unless they move a major player or find someone to take on the Horton contract – are essentially maxed out, as no one expects them to roll their bonus money (for Matthews and Marner) into next season.

And they’ve already made a big move.  Anyways,  here are my predictions.

5 Predictions

  1. The Leafs Make a Big Move 

The Leafs will not be quiet.  That is my prediction.  They have a situation where Matthews and Marner are cheap relative to their skill, and this gives them the best chance they’ll ever have, so they won’t pass it by.

2.  Rumours that Seem Insane will not Come to Pass 

I have heard that the Leafs are chasing Adam McQuaid and that they have Roman Polak as a fall back option.  I think this is nonsense.  Kyle Dubas does not seem like the type to chase players who are statistically awful.

The Leafs are known for being tight-lipped and these do not seem like Kyle Dubas players so I will shocked if something like this comes to pass.

Frankly, acquiring either player would be idiotic.

3.  The Leafs will trade Hainsey 

Given what we know about Kyle Dubas, it must drive him nuts to see his coach misuse Ron Hainsey like the year was 1995 and no one had ever heard of hockey analytics.

I predict that the GM will put his biggest mark on the team yet by taking away his coaches favorite player.

 4.  Radko Gudas Will be a Leaf

If the Leafs realistically do want to add grit to their blueline, why wouldn’t they just go for a guy who fits the same profile as McQuaid or Polak, but who can actually play and help a contending team?

Plus, Gudas has term and again, he isn’t one of the worst players in the NHL.

  5.  Kyle Dubas Surprises 

I think the Leafs will do something no one expects.  Everyone is talking right handed D or toughness, and I suspect that the Leafs GM will pull something out of his hat no one else even thought about.

It should be a fun time on Monday, and who knows, maybe the Toronto Maple Leafs are done.  I guess they could be, but that doesn’t seem like very much fun.