3 Veterans Toronto Maple Leafs Should Trade For at Deadline
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a great mixture of youth and experience, but they could be looking to add more of the latter at the NHL Trade Deadline.
When you look at the some of the reasons why the Toronto Maple Leafs have been successful this season, the core-four jump out immediately. Although people continue to inexplicably bash John Tavares and William Nylander, they’re both having good seasons.
The other members of the core, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, are playing like top-five players in the league and have been carrying the Leafs all season. Although the top of the lineup has been contributing, as expected, there have been a number of surprises.
During the offseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs wanted to address depth and leadership. They did this by acquiring Joe Thornton, Wayne Simmonds, Zach Bogosian and re-signing Jason Spezza. All four of those players are veterans to the NHL and have been through every scenario imaginable as professionals.
Although some of these moves were criticized, they’ve all worked out in Toronto’s favor. Thornton isn’t the same player he was five years ago, but his presence in the room and ability to pass the puck is still world-class. Simmonds, when healthy, has provided grit and some secondary scoring.
Bogosian is providing the Leafs a great bottom-six option on defense, while Spezza has turned back the clock over the past few weeks and seems to be scoring every night.
After understanding how easy a veteran has been able to step into this lineup, the Leafs may be looking to add another one at the NHL Trade Deadline.
Here are three veterans the Toronto Maple Leafs should look to acquire at the NHL Trade Deadline.
No. 3: Dustin Brown ($5.875M)
The LA Kings are sixth in their division, but they’re only a few points back of a playoff spot. If they go on a heater, they could make the playoffs, but the organization would probably rather prefer a chance at the NHL Lottery again.
After winning two Stanley Cups during the 2010s, the team is aging out some of the veterans that helped them get to the promised land, as they’re currently in a rebuild.
One of those key contributors to the multiple Stanley Cup’s is Dustin Brown. Even at 36-year-old, Brown has been able to play at an extremely high level is one of the bright spots on the Kings this year.
Toronto and LA have a great trading history, so they may be able to make another deal. Both of their trades have worked out in each other’s favors as Jack Campbell, Kyle Clifford and Jake Muzzin have contributed to Toronto, while Trevor Moore and Carl Grundstrom are legit NHL players.
Brown has one more season left on his contract at $5.875M, but he could be worth trading for anyways. The right-winger is a great leader, who knows how to win, and is consistently a 20-goal scorer.
Despite playing the right-side, he could fit into the top-six easily if Nylander moved to the left-side and play along both Nylander and Tavares.
No. 2: Patrick Marleau ($700K)
Reunited and it feels so good…
The 41-year-old, Marleau, is still searching for a ring. After signing with Toronto a few seasons ago with hopes of lifting Lord Stanley, he never got that opportunity. Now that his buddy Joe Thornton is on the Leafs, maybe he would be open to heading back to Toronto for another crack at a Stanley Cup.
When Marleau joined the Leafs, he clearly found a bond with Matthews and Marner and was a leader in the room. Even if he’s a healthy scratch some nights or plays limited fourth-line minutes, bringing Marleau back into the fold would be an amazing opportunity.
Imagine a Marleau-Thornton-Spezza line, it would probably be the oldest trio in the NHL.
Although Marleau is on his last legs as a professional hockey player, returning to a city that provided him great memories with great friends could be good for him and the team. After having so much chemistry with Thornton, playing together again could spark old memories and help create new ones.
It’s probably a pipe-dream for the Leafs to trade an asset for a 41-year-old Marleau, but it would make for one great story.
No. 1: Ryan Getzlaf ($8.25M)
His contract is enormous but with a daily cap-hit of $71,121, his contract gets easier to acquire with every passing day.
Without going into the math of what it would take to acquire Getzlaf, let’s just talk about the player and what you’d be getting if he did in fact join the Leafs.
The 35-year-old has spent his entire career with the Anaheim Ducks and was fortunate to win a Stanley Cup with them in his second NHL season. Since then, he’s yet to return to the Stanley Cup Finals, but he’s been a beast in the playoffs, every time he’s made them.
Over his career, Getzlaf has 120 points in 125 playoff games (via: hockeydb.com). That experience and clutch ability to perform when the games get tough is such a hard attribute to find. With a handful of seasons left in his career, you’d have to think that he would love one more chance at a Stanley Cup before he retires, and that unfortunately isn’t happening with his Ducks anytime soon.
At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, the Saskatchewan native plays big. He’s not afraid to fight and stick up for his teammates whenever it feels appropriate. He’s a natural leader and would be someone who could fit into the Leafs lineup as the third-line centre perfectly.
With only 13 points in 32 games this year, he hasn’t been an offensive threat, but Toronto wouldn’t be acquiring him for what he does in the regular season.
Next. 4 Pending UFA's Leafs Should Trade For. dark
Instead, the team would be looking for him to provide some leadership in the dressing room and be a depth centre, who can score in the big moments. With Team Canada and Stanley Cup experience, Getzlaf is a player you want to go to War with and would make the Toronto Maple Leafs even bigger favorites to come out of the North Division this playoffs.