Should the Toronto Maple Leafs Trade for Jake DeBrusk?

There aren’t many complaints these days about the play of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are coming off of an historic month of November.

Despite their incredible run lately, the Toronto Maple Leafs are not a perfect team and, in my opinion, have a glaring weakness on the left wing.

Sheldon Keefe has been shuffling the rosters left wingers up and down the lineup, Michael Bunting and Nick Ritchie specifically have played from the 1st line to the 4th line throughout the season.

So, when Boston Bruins LW Jake DeBrusk recently requested a trade, I immediately thought about how he could potentially fit into the Toronto Maple Leafs top 6.

Jake DeBrusk and the Toronto Maple Leafs

As most Leafs fan are aware, who is playing left wing on the top two lines has been a topic of conversation before every game.

There has been no consistency through the first 23 games, and, despite the great record, it is not ideal to have to shuffle your lines every two or three games. To begin the year it can be a good way to create internal competition and keep the players at the top of their games, but eventually there needs to be an established lineup.

Michael Bunting has played the most games in the top 6, and looks like a good fit. The Leafs tried Nick Ritchie on the top line, and he looked like a bust.  Alex Kerfoot has done well, but especially for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, the Maple Leafs need to bring in someone who can plant themselves firmly into the top 6.

Jake DeBrusk has not been the most consistent player in the league, but he is still in the early stages of his career, having played only 261 NHL regular season games.

In those 261 games he has managed a pretty impressive 70 goals and 70 assists, including a 27-goal season three seasons ago, (via NHL.com ). These numbers don’t jump off the page necessarily as a player that will turn a team into a contender, but that is not what the Toronto Maple Leafs need.

The Leafs have their top tier players already, what they need now is to round out the roster with roleplayers, and to address their weaknesses, particularly the LW. DeBrusk fits that need perfectly. The question is though: Should the Toronto Maple Leafs make a trade for DeBrusk?

Should the Leafs Make the Trade?

It is no secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs, much like many teams in the NHL, are in a salary cap crunch and any trade coming in would have to see equal salary going out.

Jake DeBrusk is making a fairly modest $3.675 million per season, according to capfriendly, and is on the last year of his contract. DeBrusk is an RFA though, so if he does end up working out with the team they have some control of the player after this season.

To fit this contract onto their roster Kyle Dubas may have to work a little bit of magic, which has has been known to do. Pierre Engvall could be expendable, he has been solid this year but seems to lack that finishing touch.

After that, keeping a 21 man roster could be enough to make the room for DeBrusk. Or perhaps the Leafs should cut ties with Petr Mrazek, who has been proven to be redundant, and that would be enough to fit him in. There is also an option of having Boston retain some salary, but I don’t think the Maple Leafs can afford to get rid of any more assets just to eat salary.

In the end the real question is not actually, should the Maple Leafs trade for DeBrusk, because of course they should. The real question now is, what are the Boston Bruins asking for in return for Jake DeBrusk? And is that cost worth it for the Maple Leafs?

If it is draft picks, I say ship them over. If it any prospect not named Nick Robertson, Timothy Liljegren or Rasmus Sandin, I say make it happen.

Travis Dermott for Jake DeBrusk? I might consider it. The Maple Leafs could be playing with fire trying to mess with a roster that is currently clicking, but in the long run DeBrusk could solidify an already solid Maple Leafs team.