10 Predictions for the Toronto Maple Leafs Off-Season
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a very interesting position this off-season.
Being one of the very few teams with sufficient funds to actually go out and get significant upgrades to various positions on their current roster, the Toronto Maple Leafs have the unique ability to head into 2020-21 one of the most drastically changed teams.
Kyle Dubas and Co. are going to have one heck of challenge trying to navigate the rough economic situation of the National Hockey League as a whole, while upgrading their defense – maybe in goal as well – and simultaneously not hindering their terrific forward depth.
It is an incredibly difficult needle to thread; one that could only be done in this one-of-a-kind offseason that we are on the precipice of. With that in mind, let’s take a look at ten off-season predictions I have for the Toronto Maple Leafs just under two weeks away from the start of free agency, and later revisit the list when training camp begins again.
No. 10: Leafs will keep their 15th overall selection in the Draft.
In what is projected to be one of the deepest drafts in recent memory, at 15th overall the Leafs are going to get a highly skilled prospect. In the past few seasons, Toronto’s cupboards have been emptied with the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander joining the big leagues.
This draft, Kyle Dubas has a chance to replenish some of that lost prospect talent in the form of Dawson Mercer, Braden Schneider, Dylan Holloway, Connor Zary, Rodion Amirov, or Seth Jarvis. If the Leafs get lucky enough should Yaroslav Askarov, Kaiden Guhle, or Jack Quinn fall into their lap, Toronto could walk away with the steal of the draft.
More pressing, the draft represents a fantastic way to acquire highly skilled players who will be on their entry-level contracts. To accommodate Toronto’s high-priced forwards, Dubas needs to find cost-effective, bottom-six forwards who can play well above their AAV. If the Leafs are able to land another big-ticket free agent this offseason, the need becomes even more important.
No. 9: Andersen Returns to the Leafs
Shortly after the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated by the Columbus Blue Jackets, rumours began swirling Dubas might be shopping for a potential Frederik Andersen replacement this offseason.
Taking a deeper look at the current goalie market that is said to be flooded with Andersen upgrades, the picture is not as rosy as it seems. A goalie like Jacob Markstrom could be an option, however, he is likely to command $6.5 million+ on his next contract and could you really say for certain he would be an upgrade over Andersen. Is it worth it for the extra $1.5 million that could help improve the rest of the roster?
A trade for another goalie is possible with potential replacements such as Darcy Kuemper and Matt Murray available. Kuemper would be a massive upgrade over Andersen, but they are a ton of teams in more desperate situations in net than Toronto and are most likely going to outbid the Leafs. Murray could be a nice option with him having won two Stanley Cups, but like Markstrom, could you say Murray is a definite upgrade?
The goalie situation is a decision Dubas has to absolutely nail as he knows what happens when a team does not have an adequate solution in net with the Michael Hutchinson fiasco. It is more likely Dubas will choose to keep Andersen for 2020-21 and address the situation next offseason.