Depending on how the NHL expansion draft goes, the Toronto Maple Leafs will still have a few holes to fill this off-season.
This Wednesday, July 21st, the Seattle Kraken will likely select one of Alex Kerfoot, Travis Dermott, or Jared McCann from Toronto.
Whichever player the Kraken decides to choose will indicate the area of concern that Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas has to worry about. It’s believed that Seattle is interested in Kerfoot or McCann the most.
If the Kraken does indeed select one of those two forwards, Dubas will need to find a replacement. The player will need to be able to play center or left-wing. Left-wing is the current area on the roster that needs the most help.
One team that can help Toronto is a team that has been rumored to be in talks with Toronto since March. That team is the Arizona Coyotes, and a blockbuster between the two teams could be a real possibility.
Toronto Maple Leafs Interested In A Few Coyotes
Christian Dvorak – 4 Years at $4.45 Million
Last season, hockey insider Elliotte Friedman reported in his 31 thoughts podcast that many teams are interested in Christian Dvorak. It is believed that Toronto is one of those teams.
Dvorak can play both center and left-wing and could be a decent option for the Maple Leafs to use on their third line. The 25-year-old has yet to score 20 goals in a season, and he is still a very effective player.
He will put up 30-40 points a season while logging between 16-19 minutes of ice time per game. A trade to Toronto would also reunite him with his London Knights teammate Mitch Marner.
Conor Garland – RFA
The next Arizona player that Toronto has been linked to in the past is Conor Garland. In a full 82 game season, Garland could score 20-25 goals while playing between 14-18 minutes a game.
Garland would likely play left wing on Toronto’s third line but can move up to the second line if needed. He is a restricted free agent, so Toronto will need to sign him once they acquire his rights. They should be able to sign him for under $2 million on a short-term deal.
Darcy Kuemper – 1 Year at $4.5 Million
If the Toronto Maple Leafs do not re-sign Frederik Andersen, then they will need to find a goaltender capable of sharing the load of an 82 game schedule with Jack Campbell.
That goaltender could be the Coyotes’ current starter Darcy Kuemper. He has been linked to the Leafs recently by hockey insider Frank Seravalli. He reported that Kuemper is the primary target of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Colorado Avalanche.
Having Kuemper for one year could be a good thing for Toronto prospect Joseph Woll. Woll would benefit from an entire season in the AHL to continue his development.
What Would Toronto Lose In The Blockbuster?
To pull off a blockbuster with Arizona, he will need to give up some key pieces in return. If Toronto is to acquire all three of the players mentioned above or at least two of them, it will be costly for the Maple Leafs.
The belief is that Dubas feels like he is in a must-win now mode, so losing future assets is not as big of a concern now as it was a few years ago. Toronto would likely have to give up at least two prospects, a roster player or two, and future draft picks to make a blockbuster happen.
The Maple Leafs would likely lose Dermott plus one of Pierre Engvall or Ilya Mikheyev plus Michael Hutchinson from their roster. They will also lose two of either Timothy Liljegren, Mikhail Abramov, Mac Hollowell, or Rodion Amirov, plus a couple of 2023 drafts picks.
A hefty price to pay but not as damaging overall as one might think it is. This move would work within the NHL salary cap and give the Toronto Maple Leafs solid scoring depth. It also gives them a decent goaltending tandem.