Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Deadline Predictions for Tomorrow

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the verge of making some trades – we assume.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are 9-0-1 in their last ten games, and are in first place in the NHL by total points, and microscopically behind the Hurricanes and Avalanche by points percentage. 

The NHL trade deadline is tomorrow, and as potential Stanley Cup favorites, the Leafs are definitely looking to improve their team.

They don’t really need anything, but some upgrades at every position would be a nice luxury, cap space depending.  The Leafs current cap-space is under $500K, however right now they’ve got both Riley Nash and Freddie Andersen on the LTIR, meaning they could potentially add players equal to their combined salaries (prorated of course) if neither plays again this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Deadline Predictions

The NHL salary cap has too many rules and variables, so I’m not even going to pretend to understand it.  I just know that with a 3rd team, and by accumulating space throughout the season that it was at least technically possible to fit in Taylor Hall, the most expensive potential addition (in terms of cap-hit).

The Leafs, however have other options.

Jack Campbell has stolen the crease and nobody needs a $5 million dollar back-up.  Andersen’s salary has been paid mostly by signing bonus, so he is probably pretty easy to move.  It’s just common sense that he goes.

Alex Kerfoot has been surpassed by Pierre Engvall recently, and there is no need to pay anyone on the fourth line $3.5 million dollars, so expect him to move too.

That would clear up a ton of space.

Now, in the NHL only elite players really matter.  Considering the cost of acquisition, and salary cap implications, it makes sense to put your money into elite players and go cheap on everyone else.  Differences between non-stars are marginal at best.

With that in mind, both the Islanders (Palmieri, Zacjac) and the Lightning (Savard) make ridiculously stupid and expensive trades this week.  The Leafs should be much smarter.

They should send a first round pick, a third round pick, and prospect Rodion Amirov to the Sabres for Taylor Hall (while moving Kerfoot and Andersen in separate deals).

Then they should move their 2022 pick and Nick Abruzzese to the Ducks for Josh Manson.

Manson would be an expensive upgrade, but he’s way better than Bogosian, makes the team harder to play against, and is a defensively elite player.  Hall just makes the Leafs into an all-star team.