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3 Top-Six Forwards That the Toronto Maple Leafs Could Trade For

By Stephen Nixon

TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 18: Nick Ritchie #20 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks for a puck to tip between Igor Shesterkin #31 and Ryan Lindgren #55 of the New York Rangers during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on November 18, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Rangers 2-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 18: Nick Ritchie #20 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks for a puck to tip between Igor Shesterkin #31 and Ryan Lindgren #55 of the New York Rangers during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on November 18, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Rangers 2-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 26: Marcus Johansson #90 of the Seattle Kraken  (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

No. 3: Marcus Johansson

If Toronto is looking to find a player on a cheap contract who can play the role of Zach Hyman, Johansson may be their man.

The pending UFA is currently playing with the Seattle Kraken and is making $1.5M AAV. That type of contract is very affordable for the Leafs and the expansion team would more than likely be happy  to trade him for a draft pick.

Johansson has been more of a second/third-line player for most of his career, but he’s played on a ton of great teams and with lots of great players. As such, I don’t think it would be too intimidating for him to play alongside a combination of the Leafs core-four.

Although it hasn’t been for a while, Johansson is a two-time 20-goal scorer and comes with a ton of playoff experience. In 97 career playoff games, Johansson has 41 points, which is great numbers for a depth scorer.

Next. 3 Pending UFA Defenseman Leafs Could Trade For. dark

He’s not going to light the lamp every night but that experience and willingness to win will ultimately help the Leafs in the big moments. We can’t expect Nick Ritchie and Michael Bunting to exceed in the biggest moments, but at a similar price tag, I’d feel much more comfortable with Johansson.

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