Toronto Maple Leafs: Most Likely to be Traded Next
By Reuben Gasee
![TORONTO, ONTARIO - JULY 28: Alexander Kerfoot #15 of the Toronto Maple Leafs is congratulated by teammates on the bench after he scored in the second period against the Montreal Canadiens during an exhibition game prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on July 28, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images) TORONTO, ONTARIO - JULY 28: Alexander Kerfoot #15 of the Toronto Maple Leafs is congratulated by teammates on the bench after he scored in the second period against the Montreal Canadiens during an exhibition game prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on July 28, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/eb398e50d2bfe75bc3177a8984ec16d3d1b46be84809672c20d0b02be77bb784.jpg)
Pierre Engvall
Engvall made his NHL debut during the 2019-20 season after spending four seasons in the minors. For a fourth line player, he did decently well registering 15 points in 48 games. During the season, the front office gave him a two year, $2.5 million contract which guarantees him a spot on the Toronto Maple Leafs roster going forward.
One thing that is overlooked with Engvall is his connection with head coach Sheldon Keefe. Keefe coached Engvall on the Toronto Marlies and knows him and his style of play very well. That is why Engvall was called up to the NHL roster shortly after the team was given to Keefe to coach.
Like the players mentioned before, Engvall has been made available for trade but the Leafs are better off keeping him. His connection with Keefe is more important than people think and the Leafs won’t get much for him back in a trade.
Also, why trade Engvall after giving him a fair contract for a player of his type and value? If he plays well, it will look like a bargain but if he performs poorly, it wouldn’t affect the team that much on the ice or financially, even with the team tight against the cap.
He’d probably also play his best hockey with the Toronto Maple Leafs as well. As mentioned above, his connection with Keefe and the fact that both of them understand each other is what will bring out the best in Engvall.
The most he’ll be able to net in return is a late-round pick as teams can easily pluck a player off free agents to put on their fourth line for the league minimum, $550,000 less than what Engvall is making while possibly getting someone better than him for that cost.