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3 Hypothetical Trades Toronto Maple Leafs Should Make

By Stephen Nixon

TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 17: Jack Eichel #9 of the Buffalo Sabres skates against John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on December 17, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Sabres 5-3.(Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 17: Jack Eichel #9 of the Buffalo Sabres skates against John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on December 17, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Sabres 5-3.(Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
TORONTO, ON – FEBRUARY 22: Matthew Tkachuk #19 of the Calgary Flames skates against Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs  (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

No. 2: The Matthew Tkachuk Trade

The Trade:

  • Toronto Maple Leafs acquire:
    • Matthew Tkachuk
  • Calgary Flames acquire:
    • William Nylander
    • 2022 1st Round Pick (If Tkachuk re-signs in Toronto*)
    • 2021 2nd Round Pick

This is a risky trade but Tkachuk is kind of the perfect player for the Leafs right now. Not only can he score goals, but he plays with an edge that makes him incredibly hard to play against.

Tkachuk, Matthews and Marner all have a connection to each other. Tkachuk was born in Scottsdale, AZ and Marner and him played junior hockey together with the London Knights.

Tkachuk is an RFA at the end of the 2021-22 so for the same price as William Nylander, you could get Tkachuk for one season and then you’d have to negotiate. Based on his skillset, he may be looking for $8-9M per season, but if he wants to play on a contending team with two amazing linemates, he may be inclined to stay in Toronto for a pay-cut.

Tkachuk has scored 30 goals in the NHL before, but that’s a rarity for him. However, paired beside Marner and Matthews every night, there’s no reason to believe he wouldn’t return to that goal-total and score around 70-85 points as well.

Zach Hyman was a great winger with Matthews and Marner but Tkachuk would be even better. He is a much better player with way more skill, but can also play in the dirty areas.

Giving up Nylander would be a tough pill to swallow, but if you’re able to grab someone like Tkachuk in exchange, it would be a brilliant move.

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