No. 1: Leafs Find Much Needed Top-Six Left-Winger
The Trade:
- Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Nick Foligno and Stefan Noesen
- Columbus Blue Jackets acquire: 2021 first-round pick (Toronto’s) and 2022 fourth-round pick (Toronto)
- San Jose Sharks acquire: 2021 fourth-round pick (Toronto)
You think we’d go the entire slideshow without mentioning the Toronto Maple Leafs? Come on, now.
Ever since they figured out that Joe Thornton couldn’t keep up with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, the Leafs knew they needed to upgrade the top-six left-wing position. After it looked like a meaningless trade that would most likely end in Alex Galchenyuk playing for the Toronto Marlies, he’s proven his haters wrong, becoming a legit top-six forward on this team.
Although he hasn’t scored much, he’s been impactful and looks like the Galchenyuk of old. Instead of being content with his play, Kyle Dubas went out and got a veteran player in Nick Foligno, who makes the Leafs top-six even scarier.
Foligno isn’t as skillful as Taylor Hall, or even Kyle Palmieri, but he’s a better defensive player, more versatile, and more reliable. He’s a leader, who can play many different roles. Whether it’s power-play, top-six left wing, bottom-six centre or penalty-kill, anything you ask Foligno to do, he will do.
His worth-ethic resembles Zach Hyman, so you know what you’re getting from him every shift.
Toronto needed to solidify their top-six and that’s exactly what they did with this move. By having Foligno in the lineup, they can do a ton of different things, and as a result of this move, their depth got a lot better.
In order to compete and win a Stanley Cup, you need a ton of depth and players who will do anything to win. Foligno is exactly the players the Maple Leafs needed and will make a huge impact on whether or not the Leafs win the Stanley Cup this year.