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The Toronto Maple Leafs Shouldn’t Trade for Big Names This Summer

By Jeff Borsuk

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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Sam Reinhart #23 of the Buffalo Sabres knocks down a high puck against Justin Holl #3 of the Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Sam Reinhart

Of all the players on this list, Sam Reinhart may be the most realistic trade target. He will be a restricted free agent after having an outstanding season. With Eichel on the shelf, Reinhart stepped up for the the Sabres. He tallied 40 points in just 54 games from 25 goals and 15 assists. His possession metrics were also impressive. He had an even strength Corsi rating of 50.0 which is 4.6 percent better than his team.

It seems Reinhart is ready to move on from Buffalo, which makes sense because he likely doesn’t want to waste his prime playing years in a rebuild. The Sabres can command a fairly good package for Reinhart’s rights. Getting a 25 year old center at Reinhart’s skill level isn’t easy. A fair return for him from the Maple Leafs could be William Nylander, but that would be a terrible trade for the Leafs.

Nylander and Reinhart are both the same age and were both selected in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Reinhart went second overall while Nylander was taken by Toronto with the eighth pick. Both players’ production were also incredibly similar. However, even the most staunch believers that Nylander should be traded need to be cognizant of the circumstances surrounding Reinhart and why it’s not worth giving up a player as good as Nylander for him.

Being a restricted free agent means that Reinhart’s coming contract is unknown. What we do know is that he has arbitration rights. While one may believe the concern is the potential of a high AAV, it might actually be the term. There is a potential that Reinhart’s new contract could be for just one season. If that were to happen, the Leafs giving up Nylander or any other valuable asset(s) would turn out to be a big mistake. With that unknown looming, it’s just too risky to give the Sabres something to get a player that they essentially already have in Nylander, especially if it’s just for a single season of service.

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