When the Toronto Maple Leafs finally make a trade, expect them to acquire a pending free agent.
Typically, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas prefers a player with term, but not this year. With limited cap-space next season and an Expansion Draft looming, it makes sense to have as much flexibility as possible. Even if the team has to give up draft picks and prospects for a rental.
Speaking of trades, when the heck is one going to happen?
Every time I look at Twitter, I feel like Brian Fantana in Anchorman during Panda Watch. Fantana continues to get called to the Zoo to cover Ling Wong’s birth, but every day, nothing happens. Trying to make the news as compelling as possible, his frustration reaches a boiling point.
Eventually Ling Wong gives birth, but before that happens, he’s caught screaming “Get out here, Panda Jerk!” That’s exactly how I feel about the Leafs trade rumors, as I’ve sent multiple texts saying “Make a trade, already!”
Toronto has been teasing a trade for weeks, so many fans have been growing impatient. If they don’t make a trade before this weekend, I’ll be utterly shocked.
There are plenty of places where Toronto could upgrade. In a perfect world, they could use another top-six forward, top-four defenseman and maybe even another depth defenseman. However, they’ll probably only get one of those three things at the NHL Trade Deadline.
With salary cap concerns, they’d have to move too many parts most likely to receive all three, but based Brandon Pridham’s expertise with the cap rules, they could have something up their sleeve.
Here are four pending UFA’s that the Toronto Maple Leafs should trade for.