The Toronto Maple Leafs have a unique situation heading into the 2020 NHL Draft
The offseason became exponentially more exciting for the Toronto Maple Leafs when they traded Kasperi Kapanen back to the Pittsburgh Penguins, and retained the 15th overall selection in today’s draft.
After conceding their own first round pick (13th) to the Carolina Hurricanes in the salary dump of Patrick Marleau, Dubas took it upon himself (like he has for the entirety of his short tenure) to make sure the Toronto Maple Leafs stay involved.
Acquiring this pick presents themselves with yet another opportunity to try and improve their team.
Will Kyle Dubas Trade the 15th Overall Pick?
I think it’s safe to say he will. For a team that has made it pretty apparent through their free agent signings and trades that their competitive window is now, I don’t see why they wouldn’t use such a valuable pick to bolster their roster. Especially when you add the fact that they have multiple late-round picks that they could potentially upgrade if they really find someone in the second to third round they want to target.
The Maple Leafs have done very well for themselves at the draft for the past five seasons, which is why they can afford to potentially package the pick with some assets to gain a player that can immediately impact the team.
With the 2020 draft class being as deep as it is, I think that the value for the 15th pick could potentially be a lot more than people think. Like most drafts, the 10th-20th range is never really set in stone, so if there was going to be a draft where teams would be eager to trade up for a prospect, it would likely be this one.
It’s also worth noting that this should not be the only move Toronto actively looks to make at the draft. As I mentioned, with the Leafs current window of competitiveness slowly dying off with each year’s first-round exit, Kyle Dubas has a number of roster players who have been rumored to be on the move this offseason.
Possible Other Moves?
Alex Kerfoot, Andreas Johnsson, and Frederik Andersen are the most reasonable names who come to mind when looking at expendable assets for the Maple Leafs at this stage.
If one of them were going to be moved, the most crucial deal in terms of impacting the future of this team would involve Frederik Andersen. Although, Dubas made a note in his press conference yesterday after announcing the signing of Jason Spezza that he “expects” Andersen to be their starting goaltender for next season. While trying not to read too much into that statement, I think it’s safe to say that Dubas is definitely open to the right deals if they present themselves, but he definitely doesn’t sound eager to check the market value on Andersen.
It’s important to remember that if Andersen were to be traded this offseason, that it is not essential for the Toronto Maple Leafs to obtain another goalie in return. The issue is defense, there is no hiding it, and there are a number of serviceable goaltending options to go after in free agency including Braden Holtby, Matt Murray, Alexander Georgiev, Jacob Markstrom.
Some of those names may not be realistic and some of those names may be risky choices for a starting goaltender spot on a contending team, but this is just one of the many interesting situations the Maple Leafs will have to work with this offseason.
The best fit for Andersen at this point in his career is probably either Calgary or Carolina. Both teams have the potential to be contenders with the right goaltending option, and to have Andersen with one year left on his contract, having to prove he can play up to the Vezina standards he set for himself, sounds like too good of an offer to pass up on.
As for filling Toronto’s needs, then Carolina seems like the no-brainer trade partner. They have a plethora of young and talented defensemen on solid contracts, which would probably be a better option than having to worry about whether or not you sign Alex Pietrangelo.
It’s never a dull moment in Leaf Land, and the possibilities of what could go down at the draft and throughout the coming weeks are endless. But there is no doubt that the Leafs have put themselves in a position where they will be a better team next season.