The Toronto Maple Leafs are avowed to be all-in at the upcoming NHL trade deadline.
The NHL trade deadline, which is usually a huge letdown, arrives this year on April 12th. The Toronto Maple Leafs are said to be working frantically to secure improvements for their upcoming playoff run, but what do they even need?
The Leafs biggest rumour so far is probably Mikael Granlund, but that is hardly a sexy name. In 2003 the Leafs brought in Owen Nolan – they didn’t win, but that’s a hell of an acquisition.
Will they be doing something more interesting that Granlund? Should they? Let’s find out.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Needs and Wants
There is nothing wrong with Granlund, don’t get me wrong. I’ll be right there with the rest of you overrating him the second the Leafs actually get him, but what I’m saying is that while I know that Granlund is a solid and helpful player, what I want to see is something much bigger and way more exciting.
I want the Leafs to get Taylor Hall, Anthony Mantha, Evander Kane, Johnny Gaudreau or Filip Forsberg. I don’t know if the Leafs need to get another elite scorer whose primarily contributions are offensive, but I want them to.
Maybe the best way to win a Cup is with Granlund, and maybe David Savard and Nick Foligno. Not quite as sexy, but your dollars go farther when you’re buying defensive players. It’s possible that this is the correct path to take, but I dont’ think so.
In my opinion, and I think the math backs me up, is that the best way to ensure you compete for a Stanley Cup is to add another elite player to the lineup somehow. The Leafs would have to get creative and possibly overpay, but so what? While a Granlund (or a Rackell) would go a long way in helping them surpass Tampa and Colorado, the best way to do it would be to add another truly elite talent, because in the NHL a small group of players are way, way better than everyone else and whoever has the highest amount of these players is most likely to win.
The Leafs fans may want the team to go for a homerun, but that actually might be their best option anyways. In the NHL, it takes a lot of small improvements to equal what one elite player can do for you. The Leafs have built their entire team around this concept, and it would be weird to abandon it now.
There is a difference between Granlund and, say, Alex Kerfoot at the second LW spot. But it’s not that big of a difference. It likely wouldn’t even be worth a single win over a full season. It helps only marginally. Add an actual game breaker to your lineup though, and you completely alter the dynamics of how teams face you.
Let’s say the current Leafs team suddenly puts an elite play driving winger on the third line in place of Ilya Mikheyev. Now you’re giving teams basically three first lines to play against, and you’re infinitely harder to play against. Nothing against Granlund, but no one is altering their strategy because he’s on the third line.
For the Leafs, the stars have aligned for one absolutely monster swing. Get me Taylor Hall or a reasonable facsimile.