The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the best teams in the NHL, but they’ve continued to express that they want to upgrade in a few areas.
The Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending situation is scary right now. Jack Campbell has a 8-0 record, but it’s unsure how long that can last. He’s clearly showing Leafs Nation that he deserves the No. 1 starting position, but injury concerns have made fans weary if he can stay healthy until the playoffs.
Freddie Andersen has been the Leafs starting goaltender for the past five years, but his recent injuries have potentially pushed him to be the back-up position when he’s finally healthy. As a pending UFA, this could be the last season for Andersen in the Blue and White, so it’ll be very interesting to see how the campaign plays out for him.
With an unknown surrounding Andersen, and Campbell for that matter, the Leafs could hold out hope that Michael Hutchinson can get the job done if both of those goaltenders can’t perform, but that would be a terrible idea.
The Colorado Avalanche faced that scenario last year in the playoffs and unfortunately got upset by the Dallas Stars, as a result. The team was a powerhouse and looked posed to make the Stanley Cup Finals, but goaltending issues made it difficult for them to win and ultimately ended their season.
If Toronto has bad thoughts about their goaltending as they head into the playoffs, they need to address it and upgrade. If Campbell and Andersen are not 100 percent healthy, then this team will be bound for another first round exit.
Although goaltending is one piece on the Leafs wish-list, they’ve also inquired about adding a forward and defenseman, for depth purposes. With a quarantine period still in effect, the team’s best scenario would be trading with another team in the North Division, so that they can get a player into the lineup immediately.
As a result, here are five North Division players that the Toronto Maple Leafs should trade for.