Elliotte Friedman loves throwing fuel on the fire when it comes to Toronto Maple Leafs trade rumors and yesterday was no different.
Over the past few weeks, Friedman and many other NHL insiders have said that the Toronto Maple Leafs are interested in a top-six forward. One “mystery forward” that Friedman alluded to was Mikael Granlund, of the Nashville Predators.
From there, many names have popped up and there seems to be over a dozen forwards that the Leafs have been linked to.
Friedman’s exact quote on a radio hit with 630CHED on Friday was the following:
"“I do think the GM (Kyle Dubas) is going to go hunting for a top-six winger and I’m curious to see who he gets. This week (versus the Oilers) convinced them (Leafs) to go all in on the season.”"
This shouldn’t be a surprise for any hockey fan. The Leafs are 18-5-2 and are off to their best start in franchise history.
This team is guaranteed to make it to the playoffs right now. Also, they’re dominating the teams that they’ll be playing in the first and second round. With that being said, the Leafs have to be pretty confident that they can at least advance to round three at this point.
That’s what makes this year much different than last year. Although you could predict that the Leafs would play Boston or Tampa Bay in the first or second round, it wasn’t guaranteed. If the Leafs won the division, it’s possible that they would play a wild-card team outside of their division who they don’t know that well.
When the playoffs start this year, the Leafs know they’re playing Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg or Edmonton. Sorry, Ottawa, you’re not making the playoffs.
That opponent certainty makes the decision of going “all-in” for a cup this year so much easier to make.
Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Rumors Heating Up
Earlier this week, Friedman also mentioned that the Toronto Maple Leafs could make a deal as early as next week based off their schedule. Toronto only plays two games from March 15-25, so it’s a perfect window to trade with an American team.
Based on quarantine rules, an American player would have to self-isolate for 14 days before joining a Canadian team.
Although we’d previously mentioned Granlund as a player who’s been linked to the Leafs, there are plenty of other names out there.
Whether it’s Taylor Hall, Eric Staal or Bobby Ryan to name a few, the Leafs have a lot to offer when it comes to making a big trade.
As shown in year’s past, the team has had no trouble in moving on from a prospect or draft pick if it meant acquiring a player they like. They did this with Jake Muzzin and Jack Campbell and would do the exact same for that mystery top-six forward.
Not saying the Leafs would trade all, or any, of these players, but they do have Adam Brooks, Nick Robertson, Timothy Liljegren, Rasmus Sandin, Teemu Kivihalme, Semyon Der-Arguchintsev and Mikhail Abramov as exciting prospects they could move. Not too mention that they also have first-round picks in 2021, 2022 and 2023 available for trade.
If the Leafs are ever going to go all-in for a Stanley Cup run, it’s clearly this season. They’re dominating the North Division and are a top team in the league. Dubas should do whatever he can to improve this roster to it’s best capabilities.