Toronto Maple Leafs: Nick Foligno Instant Trade Analysis
The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Nick Foligno last night, prior to today’s NHL trade deadline.
The Toronto Maple Leafs payed a high cost to acquire a 33 year-old player on an expiring contract.
The trade needed some maneuvering as Dubas’ trades usually do. It involved three teams. Toronto got Foligno and Stefan Noesen, the Columbus Blue Jackets got Toronto’s 2021 first-round and 2022 fourth-round pick, and the San Jose Sharks got Toronto’s 2021 fourth-round pick.
Nick Foligno was one of the biggest names on the market. He is a big-body forward that is more than reliable defensively. He is better defensively than 90 percent of the players in the NHL over the last three seasons.
Nick Foligno, reportedly acquired by TOR, is a defensive specialist top six forward who doesn't bring much of anything offensively whether it's play-driving, production, or finishing. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/zdmtglAceN
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) April 11, 2021
Above, you see a player card for the new member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. JFresh does a fantastic job breaking down where he ranks in different areas compared to others.
Offensively, there is not much you can ask of him. He failed to reach 40+ points since the ’16-’17 season. The good thing is Dubas didn’t seek his offensive abilities, but rather his defensive.
Nick will likely slide in on Toronto’s penalty kill and could potentially play anywhere in the lineup.
His $5.5 million cap is a concern, but not for Dubas. He got the Jackets to retain 50 percent and the Sharks to take another 50 percent of what was remaining. That means he joins the Leafs with 25 percent of his cap hit.
Stefan Noesen is a 28-year-old that hasn’t been able to play well in the NHL. Coming from the Sharks organization, he is a high-end AHL player/depth NHL player.
He has played well in the AHL, averaging one point-per-game last season and 0.5 points per game this season. In the NHL, he has 17 points in 86 games over the past three seasons.
Noesen probably won’t play for the Leafs in anything more than an emergency situation, and his inclusion in the trade was mostly likely just to make the numbers work.
To the Columbus Blue Jackets
General manager Jarmo Kekäläinen has been collecting draft picks to help the Columbus Blue Jackets rebuild around their young players. They added two of them from Toronto in exchange for the highly-coveted Foligno.
The Jackets collected a 2021 first-round pick and a 2022 fourth-round pick. The first-rounder will likely be a late one, considering the Leafs are a top team in the NHL. That is unless the team collapses in the first round of the playoffs yet again.
Kekäläinen retained 50 percent of Foligno’s contract so he can fit in Toronto’s salary cap. The fourth-rounder was likely the compensation for the retention.
Columbus now has three first-round picks in this upcoming draft. That includes their own, what Toronto just gave them, and one from the Tampa Bay Lighting after trading away David Savard on Saturday.
To the San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks were brought in as a third-party team to help the Leafs workout their cap situation. The Jackets traded Foligno to the Sharks to retain another 50 percent of his contract, leaving only 25 percent of it on Toronto’s books.
General Manager Doug Wilson added a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft for his troubles. It adds to the fifth-rounder Wilson got by trading goaltender Devan Dubnyk to the Colorado Avalanche.
The Sharks still have $9 million in cap space left and will likely add more draft picks by retaining other contracts. I don’t know, let’s say a team trading for Taylor Hall.
How did the Toronto Maple Leafs do?
At first glance, all three teams got what they wanted. Toronto got their defensive forward, Columbus got a first-round pick, and San Jose got a fourth-rounder for practically doing nothing.
I would say the Toronto Maple Leafs ended up as the winners of the three-way trade. That is because they grab a forward that will help the team push to win a Stanley Cup.
However, do I think Foligno is worth a first-round pick? No.
Do I think the trade was worth it? Absolutely.
If the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup, there is no doubt that Foligno’s defensive prowess and physicality will be one reason why. If the Leafs don’t make it to the conference finals, they lost a first-round pick for an underwhelming playoff performance.
The bidding war for Foligno’s services gave the Jackets more than they should have gotten. That should be considered a win in itself. Adding an extra fourth-round pick to retain the contract for this season is always a big plus.
Doug Wilson was probably relaxing with his feet up on his desk when Dubas gave him a call to retain some salary. Boom, fourth-rounder for five minutes of work.
The Leafs will either be the biggest losers or the biggest winners. That will all be determined come playoff time.
People need to keep in mind is that Toronto only gave up a first-round pick because of the bidding war. I highly doubt Dubas went into the negotiations with that draft pick on the table right away.
Many anticipate Dubas to make more moves. The team still has some cap space to make another move. Let’s say trade for a defenseman?
Next. Nick Foligno a Solid Addition to the Leafs. dark
Moving one of their many forwards can open up enough space to add an impact rental defenseman. Will Dubas pull the trigger? There is not much time left.