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Toronto Maple Leafs Roundtable: Which Player Would You Trade For?

By Wilbert Timmermans

TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 9: Morgan Rielly #44 of the Toronto Maple Leafs takes the ice before playing the Philadelphia Flyers at the Scotiabank Arena on November 9, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 9: Morgan Rielly #44 of the Toronto Maple Leafs takes the ice before playing the Philadelphia Flyers at the Scotiabank Arena on November 9, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Alexander Georgiev
Alexander Georgiev /

Zoë Mason

With the trade deadline fast approaching and the Toronto Maple Leafs still inconsistent and hovering around playoff contention, many fans and experts alike are calling for a big change. The offensive firepower doesn’t cease to impress: William Nylander is having a breakout season and bonafide superstar Auston Matthews consistently ranks among the top goalscorer in the league. However, despite the additions of Barrie and Muzzin, the Leafs’ defensive ranks are still shallow.

Yet it is goaltending that remains in the spotlight in terms of trading. A right-handed defenseman is a hot commodity, and one a cap-strained Leafs team likely cannot acquire. Rumours would suggest the Leafs are interested in extending Jake Muzzin, which would help address those gaps.

That leaves goaltending. With Frederik Andersen injured and Hutchinson, although admittedly somewhat stronger, still an unreliable backup, the Leafs know there’s a big hole to fill between the pipes. Down the stretch, they cannot continue to rely as heavily as they have in the past on Frederik Andersen, and his late-season numbers serve to back that up.

As for trade bait, the answer seems obvious. Although excelling in his role on the third line this year, Kasperi Kapanen has yet to find a serious or sustainable top-six role on this roster, however, he certainly has the potential to do so on other teams. Meanwhile, Andreas Johnsson has been trusted on the wings of the big lines, centred by Matthews or Tavares. Therefore Kapanen seems like a good trading chip. In exchange for who? Likely Rangers goaltender Alexander Georgiev.

At age 23, he’s a good long-term investment, unlike former fan favourite backup Curtis McElhinney. With a Sv% of .909 and a GAA of 3.12, his stats are miles ahead of Hutchinson’s .886 and 3.62 respectively. Also, with a current contract valued at $2.775 million, he’s not out of reach despite the Leafs’ tenuous finances. All in all, any additions have to address the number of goals this team allows, and Georgiev sure isn’t bad at stopping them.

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