Toronto Maple Leafs Roundtable: Trade Deadline Targets And Needs

TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 07: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his game winning goal at 13:10 in overtime to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 07, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 07: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates his game winning goal at 13:10 in overtime to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 07, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
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The Toronto Maple Leafs will need to address their needs before the trade deadline.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently somewhat freefalling from their explosive start to the season, losing 6 of their last 8 games. Previous to this bad run, the Toronto Maple Leafs sat lonely atop of their divison

Despite still leading the all Canadian North Division, their comfortable lead has disappeared like they often lost leads during the 2016 – 2017 season under Mike Babcock. No reason for panic just yet, but worrisome nonetheless.

The Leafs hold on a playoff spot is still comfortable at 7 points, nevertheless, the first spot would give the Toronto Maple Leafs home-ice advantage in the playoffs, a luxury, even with the empty arena’s.

If a silver lining needs to be found in recent results, it’s that their freefall comes at an opportune moment considering there’s plenty of time left before the trade deadline and if recent play has shown anything, it’s where the weaknesses of this team lie.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and potential trade deadline targets

Perhaps for the first time ever, the Toronto Maple Leafs won’t be in the market to strengthen the blue-line at the trade deadline, surely a one-liner Toronto media will miss this season. Heck, Dubas, evidently, feels so comfortable about his blue-line he traded Miko Lehtonen in return for a goaltender prospect.

That doesn’t mean Dubas won’t act if an opportunity for the blue-line comes to pass, but from the looks of it, the Toronto Maple Leafs needs likely are offensively and in the net.

With that in mind, we asked our writing staff the following question for this edition of the Editor in Leaf Roundtable; “What should be Dubas top priority at the trade deadline?”

The staff came up with some hot takes, so let’s find them out!