Toronto Maple Leafs and Predators Are Going to Make a Trade

The Toronto Maple Leafs are rumored to be in on Mattias Ekholm.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are rumored to be in Mikeal Granlund.

The Toronto Maple Leaf are rumored to be in on Filip Forsberg.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are rumored to be in on Victor Arviddson.

Fans of the Leafs can’t help noticing that Juuse Sauros (currently on the I.R) might be a cheap and solid replacement for pending free-agent Freddie Andersen.

You get the point. Something about smoke and fire.  Let’s dig into it.

Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators

The Predators are 24th in the NHL. They are an old team with a ton of 30-ish guys signed longterm for tons of money.  They do not have a blue-chip prospect, other than maybe a goalie. 

They do have some cap space, however.  (About Five Million). 

The Leafs, on the other hand, are a contender looking to upgrade.  What do they want? A defensively responsible top-six forward.  Maybe an upgrade on defense.  If we’re dreaming, maybe even a high-end addition or a new goalie.

The Predators check all these boxes.  The Leafs have prospects, and picks to trade.  They need a team with cap space to make it happen.

There couldn’t be two better trade partners.

If you look at the players the Leafs have been linked to, the ones on the Predators make the most sense.  Granlund may not be a name-brand player, but he’s incredibly solid.  He is above average both offensively and defensively and is a solid all-round player.  He may only be a slight upgrade over Kerfoot, but if Kerfoot then replaced Engvall, it’s a significant upgrade.  More than anything it gives the Leafs  a ton of options and lineup looks.

Forsberg is elite offensively, and below average defensively.  He would replace Hyman as the Leafs fifth best forward and bump the popular powerforward down to sixth on the Leafs forward rankings. Considering the cost, the underwhelming defense and the duplication of skills already filled more than adequately, I’d say this is a non-starter.  It would obviously be cool to get such a player, but if the Leafs could pay this kind of cost and make the cap room, you have to figure there’s players that would fit better.

Make no mistake – Forsberg would make the Leafs better, but, like Taylor Hall, I just don’t see him as a fit unless the Leafs just decide to hold a track meet every game (not a terrible idea, but I don’t see them doing it).

The real gem on Nashville, and the player I think the Leafs would most be interested in is Mattias Ekholm.  He is a #1 defenseman making just $3.75.  If Nashville retained salary, he could be fit into the lineup by moving Dermott and not much else.  His JFresh player card says that for the last three seasons he’s been better than 96% of NHL defenseman.

If the Leafs dressed Rielly, Muzzin, Ekholm down their left side, they’d have the best blueline in the NHL when you consider Brodie and Holl on the right.  It would be a pretty insane addition, and he’s got an extra year on his deal.

I don’t know who it will be, but I’d be willing to bet that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators make a trade in the next couple of weeks. They each are in a situation where they can fill the other’s needs, and it just makes sense.