5 North Division Players the Toronto Maple Leafs Should Trade For
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.
No. 5: Jordie Benn, Vancouver Canucks
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a very solid defensive core, but they could use another one or two legit NHL players to solidify the depth chart.
With over 500 games of experience, Benn would make a great No. 7 defenseman on the Leafs. Benn isn’t a defenseman that you’re going to see on the scoresheet often, but he is someone who can provide some solid minutes and help keep the puck out of the net.
As a pending UFA, Benn currently holds a $2M cap-hit, so acquiring him mid-season shouldn’t be tough to do, based on cap space.
Benn was born in British Columbia and has a no-trade-movement, so it’s possible that he’s content in his situation and wouldn’t want to waive it. However, at the same time, he’d probably rather be on the best team in the North Division, than one of the worst.
You’re not going to notice much of the 33-year-old when he’s on the ice, but he’s going to provide some stability on the back-end and help out, in case of injury.
Instead of relying on rookies like Rasmus Sandin or Timothy Liljegren who haven’t played in big playoff moments, someone like Benn would be great in the dressing room and wouldn’t be scared by a big game.
No. 4: Brayden Coburn, Ottawa Senators
When you’re a healthy scratch on one of the worst teams in the NHL, that’s never a good sign, but it shouldn’t scare the Leafs away from acquiring Coburn.
Cobrun didn’t play much for the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, but he was still apart of the team’s Stanley Cup season and was a valuable depth piece for the team. Similar to Zach Bogosian, Coburn provided some insurance, in case of emergency.
Now that he’s 36-years-old, Coburn isn’t as effective as he used to be, but he’s still an intimidating player.
At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, Coburn brings a size element to the game that is very important during the playoffs. His big body and toughness is something that could be beneficial on the Leafs in the spring, as this team doesn’t have much of that to begin with.
Although his game has declined, he has 977 NHL regular season games and 137 playoff games of experience to offer. With three Stanley Cup Finals appearances under his belt, he’s another leader in the dressing room.
Coburn’s $1.7M contract makes him an easy trade asset to acquire and although he hasn’t played a ton this year, he could be reenergized to join a contending team, instead of a rebuilding roster.
No. 3: David Rittich, Calgary Flames
If the Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves worried about their goaltending situation, they could make a call to the Flames to acquire “Big Save Dave.”
Calgary has their No. 1 goaltender set with Jacob Markstrom, so while Rittich is a pending UFA, the Flames could be inclined to move on from him for an asset, especially if the Flames continue to fall out of the playoff picture.
The 28-year-old has started 128 NHL games and has shown that he can be a reliable goalie. He’s best suited as a back-up or in a 1A/1B role, but would be an upgrade over Michael Hutchinson.
Trading for a goaltender mid-season is incredibly hard to do, so Rittich could be the Leafs best option, especially if the quarantine rules still apply at the NHL Trade Deadline.
Rittich’s $2.75M cap-hit also seems like a do-able number for the Leafs to take on. Obviously, everyone hopes that Toronto can rely on their current No. 1 and No. 2 goaltenders to hold down the fort throughout the playoffs, but if things go sideways, Rittich could be a good insurance piece for the Leafs.
No. 2: Travis Hamonic, Vancouver Canucks
You’re not going to find too many better contracts that Hamonic’s in the trade market. With a $1.25M cap-hit, and a pending UFA, Hamonic would be a great addition to the Leafs.
Having played over 650 NHL games, Hamonic is a legit NHL defenseman. You’re not going to want him to provide top-four minutes on this roster, but he can easily play 10-14 minutes per night and not be a liability.
Toronto has a solid defensive group, but if someone goes down to injury, they’re screwed. They need to add as many NHL caliber defenseman as possible around the trade deadline to maintain as much depth as possible.
During his time with the Canucks this year, he’s been playing close to 20 minutes per night, but on this Leafs roster, that wouldn’t be necessary. It’s possible that Hamonic could take the spot of Zach Bogosian or Travis Dermott, but he’d more than likely be used sparingly with Toronto.
Hamonic is also a great addition to the Toronto Maple Leafs because he’s a right-handed shot and you can never have too many of those on your blue-line.
No. 1: Sam Bennett, Calgary Flames
Bennett is having back-to-back brutal seasons and is continuing to underperform as the former fourth overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
Despite the lack of scoring, Bennett seems like a type of player that would benefit from a chance of scenery. Especially if that scenery meant playing less than an hour from where he grew up.
The Holland Landing, ON native played his entire junior hockey career in Toronto, before getting drafted to the Kingston Frontenacs. During his stint in the OHL, Bennett’s draft stock rose substantially because he played with an edge, but also had a scoring touch, finishing with 36 goals and 91 points in his draft year.
Bennett has always been compared to former Leafs great Doug Gilmour, who actually coached Bennett in the OHL, and he wears the number 93 as a result.
It’s quite possible that the scoring drought continues if he got traded to Toronto, but you’d have to think that he’d be a new man with the Leafs. As a pending RFA, Bennett’s play is costing him money every time he steps on the ice, so playing on a new team could really help his wallet.
Massive List of Trade Options for the Leafs. dark. Next
The left-winger could slide right onto a line with John Tavares and William Nylander and could be the missing piece to the Leafs top-six. With a $2.55M cap-hit, taking a swing on Bennett could be a smart idea for Toronto, as he’ll be incredibly inspired to help the Leafs win their first Stanley Cup since 1967.