32 Potential Trade Options for the Toronto Maple Leafs
By James Tanner
Mattias Ekholm
He doesn’t cost much, he’s an elite player, and he is available for the low low price of one first rounder and two prospects.
This is the dream addition…….if he was right handed. Ekholm isn’t going to usurp Rielly or Muzzin, so the question is “Do the Leafs want to spend that much capital to upgrade their third defensive pairing?”
The answer is a resounding no.
If he can play the right side, moving Holl down and Bogosian out of the lineup, I suppose it’s an option, but Justin Holl doesn’t deserve that, and frankly, neither does Bogosian.
The Leafs have a very nice top four, and unless they are getting Roman Josi or someone on that level, it’s hard to imagine they want to spend what it would cost to make a slight improvement in their top four.
Ekholm is obviously better than Dermott, but Dermott has been crushing third pairing minutes forever, and the Leafs third pairing is not a problem in any way shape or form. You have Sandin if you need him, and barring injury I just can’t see the point in spending what it would cost to get Ekholm and then only being able to use him in a third pairing role.
There just aren’t that many minutes to go around, and so I think the assets are better spend on a goalie or forward. They should still upgrade the blueline if they can, they just don’t need to go overboard trading for a top line guy to play on the third pairing.