Michael Mazzei
If the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to make a trade, and it seems like that is going to be the case, then they should make a move to acquire a defenceman. Given that such a trade could likely involve Kasperi Kapanen going the other way, the Leafs should make a follow-up move to acquire a middle-six forward to fill the void.
One player that could fit this bill perfectly is none other than Blake Coleman of the New Jersey Devils, who I have already talked about in a previous post. Not only will he provide a similar value to what Kapanen has provided, but do so at a cheaper cost. And to boot, he has been one of the best penalty-killing forwards over the past few seasons.
Additionally, Coleman has a physical edge in his game and plays a hard-nosed style of hockey. It’s something the Leafs have missed dearly since moving out Nazem Kadri and could be of value down the stretch.
The cost to acquire Coleman is not going to come cheap, especially considering the Devils haven’t indicated they are looking to move the 28-year-old forward. If such a trade were to transpire, Toronto will need to give up multiple assets to make it work (ex: Jeremy Bracco, bottom-six roster player, draft pick(s)).
Whatever the cost ends up being, it will be totally worth it because the value Coleman will provide makes up for not only the potential departure of Kapanen but also make such a transaction worthwhile.
Should the Leafs make a trade for a defenceman, they should follow it up with a move to get a player like Coleman.