Why the Toronto Maple Leafs Should Trade for Viktor Arvidsson
The Package & The Fit
There is reasonable doubt Kyle Dubas can pull off a deal acquiring a player with an over $4 million AAV. But, using CapFriendly’s trade simulator, it is not as hard as you might think it may be.
If Nashville is willing to retain 50% of Arvidsson’s salary, offloading Pierre Engvall and Jimmy Vesey clears enough money to fit the 5″9′ winger under the cap, even with enough buffer room to activate Simmonds and Campbell when they are healthy again.
Now, if David Poile does go full rebuild, which would likely be the only way Arvidsson becomes available, Engvall and Vesey is clearly not enough of a return. I look at the package the Toronto Maple Leafs sent to the Kings in exchange for Jake Muzzin as a starting point.
Sean Durzi, Carl Grundstrom and a first-round pick could be replicated with Toronto’s 13th ranked prospect pool. Their wealth of B-level prospects plus ample draft capital could entice the Predators to move on from Arvidsson.
Although, he is younger than Muzzin was at that time, plus signed for longer-term, so it would cost more than a Durzi and a Grundstrom, but any combination of Nick Abruzzese, Roni Hirvonen, Veeti Miettinen, Filip Hållander, Mikhail Abramov, or Topi Niemelä plus a pick or two should get it done.
As for what the lineup would look like, it is hard to not love the potential of Sheldon Keefe’s team if he ran out trios of:
Thornton – Matthews – Marner
Nylander – Tavares – Arvidsson
Mikheyev – Kerfoot – Hyman
Simmonds – Boyd – Spezza
Next. The Player the Toronto Maple Leafs Should Want to Trade For. dark
It remains to be seen who the winger Dubas has in mind is, but with the Toronto Maple Leafs already getting off a fantastic start to their season, any upgrade is going to make this team that much better.