After a few minor deals, which saw mostly AHL players go back-and-fourth, there was no ‘major’ trade for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Although Kyle Dubas was trying to trade Tyson Barrie for most of the day — at the end of it all, the Toronto Maple Leafs management agreed it was best for him to stay.
That angered some of Leafs nation, but part of the fanbase was content with it, including myself.
Most of the anger was because fans didn’t want to let Barrie walk in the summer for free — they wanted an asset for him. I totally understand that, but the Toronto Maple Leafs have a better chance to make a playoff run with him in the lineup.
He knows the players, the systems and what better way to help a team who’s having trouble staying afloat.
A shakeup, courtesy of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ GM would give the team a jolt, but it wouldn’t help them in the long run. It would’ve been the same reaction to when Sheldon Keefe was hired; play good for a few weeks, then fall off.
Dubas is trying to say, “help yourselves, I’ve done as much as I can.”
And so he should. That’s the only way this team is going to learn. This is the best Toronto Maple Leafs team we’ve seen in a long time and they shouldn’t be playing like this, so you do what you have to do.
A quiet trade deadline is sometimes a good one.
The Toronto Maple Leafs GM was likely working the phones for most of the day. Looking for the right fit for Barrie, as well as getting enough assets back to keep, or trade for another defenseman.
However you also have to think about this team as a whole if you trade Barrie.
Is the team going to be better with the asset? Is the ‘player’ able to play on the right-side?
If you trade Barrie and acquire draft picks, it’s essentially saying to Cody Ceci, “welcome back into our lineup.” And I don’t think Dubas, Keefe or the fans are ready for that.
So with not moving the 28-year-old, it gives you the right side that you’d like, plus Ceci as a depth option if a player goes down with an injury.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a tight race for the 3rd spot in the Atlantic — they need all the depth they can get. And now they have it.
With 19 games left in the season, the team is going to need a massive push from everyone. After last game, and the trade deadline, let’s see if they can now show us what team they really want to be.