No. 1: Pierre Engvall
Before we talk about potential trades for defenseman, let’s look at a forward that should be the odd-man out.
Despite being 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, Engvall doesn’t play with an edge or use his size to his advantage. In fact, in the 104 Leafs games that he’s played, I don’t remember him once hitting someone.
Engvall doesn’t provide much to this roster and is a replaceable player. Anyone on the Toronto Marlies could come up and do the exact same thing that he does and they’d be making a lot less money. It’s not like Engvall is making Auston Matthews money but his $1.25M contract could be spent on someone different and someone who provides more than him.
Hypothetical Trade:
- Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: 2022 6th Round Pick
- Ottawa Senators acquire: Pierre Engvall
The Senators are a young team with a lot of cap-space and Engvall could be an experiment on that roster for them, while the Leafs just need to clear cap-space. When Ilya Mikheyev returns, he’ll take Engvall’s spot so you may as well grab an asset while you can.