Three Realistic Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Packages
Toronto Maple Leafs fans are holding their breath all week with anticipation of a big trade.
This upcoming week continues to be the window for the Toronto Maple Leafs to make a big move and fans cannot wait to see who they get. In a salary cap world, you can’t always get the player you want, but there are still some great names available for the Leafs to grab.
Big trades are rare in the middle of an NHL season. Typically, there are few big names that get moved around the NHL Trade Deadline, but the major moves usually happen in the summer.
However, Leafs fans are still holding out hope that the team is going to acquire another superstar talent to join the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander.
With the core-four set in stone and the top defensive pairings most likely staying put, this team can only add so much. A top-six forward is very ideal and so is a mid-tier defenseman, who can take some minutes away from Travis Dermott or Zach Bogosian.
Although both defensemen have played well this season, any extra depth is important, especially in the playoffs.
The Leafs rely on the top-four forwards for most of the offense, but recently the third-line of Pierre Engvall, Zach Hyman and Ilya Mikheyev has been rolling. The M-E-H line, as they like to call it, has been a huge bright spot, but how long can that really last?
Hyman is better suited playing in a top-six role with Auston Matthews, while Engvall has had multiple scoreless droughts. Mikheyev can’t seem to score a goal to save his life, despite getting numerous chances every night. So although this line is working, it doesn’t feel like the Leafs are content with it as their third-line heading into the playoffs.
Since this team is certain that they’ll make the playoffs, they have the luxury of going all-in and trading prospects and picks for an impact player. As a result, here are three realistic trade packages that the Leafs could make soon.
No. 3: Eric Staal For Players and Prospects
The Trade:
- Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Eric Staal ($3.25M)
- Buffalo Sabres acquire: Pierre Engvall ($1.25M), Kenny Agostino ($737K), 2021 second-round pick
- Notes: *Buffalo retains 50 percent of contract*
The Leafs have had great success with veterans over the past few years. From Patrick Marleau to Joe Thornton, numerous players have found their game when paired beside one of the Leafs top-four forwards.
That same thing could be applied to Eric Staal, who continues to be rumored to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Staal’s contract is a little rich, but as a pending UFA, it could make sense to acquire him. Also, in order for the money to work, the Leafs would only have to give up Engvall and Agostino, if the Sabres were able to retain 50 percent of his contract.
For Buffalo’s sake, Staal does nothing for them long-term. Their team is a dumpster-fire and they could use as many draft picks and prospects as possible.
With one year left on his deal, Engvall can be a third-line player in Buffalo and could be a valued member, only making $1.25M. Agostino deserves another NHL chance and the Sabres are one of a few teams in the league where he could shine.
As for Staal, the Leafs would love to have the 36-year-old because he can play centre or wing and can still contribute offensively. He’s only a few years removed from scoring 40 goals in a season and has the Stanley Cup experience that is vital in the room.
Staal could be that depth difference maker that finally gets the Leafs past the first round and hopefully well beyond that.
No. 2: Leafs Acquire Consistent 20-Goal Scorer
The Trade:
- Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Kyle Palmieri ($4.65M)
- New Jersey Devils acquire: Alex Kerfoot ($3.5M)
- Notes: *New Jersey retains 50 percent of contract*
The former 26th overall selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft could be the extra depth scoring that Toronto needs. The one issue is that he’s primarily a right-winger and those top two spots belong to Mitch Marner and William Nylander, but he’s played centre and left-wing before in his career.
If you thought the Buffalo Sabres were bad, just look at the New Jersey Devils roster. Palmieri has a No-Move-Clause in his contract, but you’d have to think he’d waive it to go to a contending roster immediately.
Since the 2015-16 season, Palmieri has scored at least 24 goals every season. That’s even more impressive given the fact that he’s been buried in New Jersey with a terrible roster. He’s one of the brightest spots of the team, but is a pending UFA, so the team would most likely lose him for free anyway.
Palmieri has a great shot, which is way he’s such a good goal-scorer. Not only that, but he’s been a huge contributor on the power-play over the past few seasons.
Obviously this trade package would send Kerfoot to New Jersey, but it would give the Leafs another legitimate scoring option. If the big-gun’s aren’t firing, Palmieri should be a player that this team could rely on to score.
He’s relatively small (5-foot-11, 185 pounds), but he plays big. He’s not afraid to fight when he’s called upon and can play with an edge. The Leafs need more team toughness and that’s exactly what he can bring to the dressing room. So although Toronto would be getting a goal-scorer, they’d also get a player who will stick up for any teammate, which is a great guy to have come playoff time.
No. 1: Leafs Bolster Their Defensive Depth
The Trade:
- Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Vince Dunn ($1.875M)
- St. Louis Blues acquire: Pierre Engvall ($1.25M), Kenny Agostino ($737K), 2021 third round pick
- Notes: 2021 third round pick turns into a 2021 second round pick if Dunn re-signs in Toronto
Although the first two trades we spoke about were realistic, the acquisition of someone like Vince Dunn seems the likeliest.
Toronto should be happy with how their defense has played this year but they shouldn’t be complacent. Nobody hopes that any more injures will ensue, but as we saw during the 2020 NHL Playoffs, random injuries can happen at any time.
When the Leafs lost Jake Muzzin for the remainder of the series, it almost felt like they’d already lost against Columbus. He was such an important piece to the roster and the team didn’t have enough depth to support that type of loss.
As a result, the Leafs need to bolster their defensive depth and get another quality player. Dunn has been in trade rumors all season and at $1.875M, there’s not too many better defenseman out there that Toronto can afford.
The 24-year-old defenseman wasn’t the key piece on the St. Louis Blues championship team in 2018-19, but he did average roughly 15 minutes of ice-time per night in the playoffs. That’s significant time and that experience would be vital on the Leafs blue-line.
Toronto currently has Bogosian and Muzzin as former Stanley cup winners on their blue-line, but it wouldn’t hurt to add another. Although it’s cliché, experience truly matters and having someone who played in a Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Final can be very impactful in huge moments.
dark. Next. 4 Defenseman Leafs Could Trade For This Week
The Leafs would be very smart to look at Dunn and try to add another defenseman before the NHL Trade Deadline this year.