The Top 5 Players the Toronto Maple Leafs Should Trade For
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a great position heading into the playoffs and the NHL trade deadline.
This has been nearly a dream season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have traded places back and forth with Colorado as the NHL’s best team since October 27th when the Leafs put their (bad luck) rough start behind them.
Ever since, the Leafs have picked up nine out of every ten points available to them when Mitch Marner plays, and eight out of ten otherwise.
They have the ability to clear cap space (cheap options like Kerfoot, Mrazek, Ritchie, Holl give them flexibility) and they have their first rounder next year + a lot of good prospects that would interest other teams.
In other words, they have the means, motive and opportunity to make a deal.
But what deal should they make? It’s hard to say because they don’t have any obvious weaknesses. What follows are five players that I’d like to see the Leafs add. They are all either realistic or fun options, just not always both.
Scott Mayfield
A 29 year-old right shooting defenseman who plays for the New York Islanders, Scott Mayfield is a defensive defenseman who is actually good at playing defense. (As opposed to just getting hemmed in his own zone, Roman Polak style).
He can move the puck pretty well, as seen by his decent point totals that are pretty much all 5v5 scoring (between 12 and 20 points, roughly, but only once ever coming anywhere close to 82 games in a single year).
This is important because the Leafs are a puck-moving team and likely are not interested in boat-anchor types.
During last year’s shortened season, Mayfield was better than 87% of NHL defenseman at actual defense. Even granting that that is padded from playing on the Islanders ,it’s still impressive.
Mayfield would be cheap and could work as both a depth option or even potentially as an upgrade over Justin Holl.
He makes $1.4 million, and while he wouldn’t exactly be a blockbuster addition, he would help the team for sure. (All cap info from capfriendly.com).
Phil Kessel
Hard to believe that it’s been almost seven seasons and two Stanley Cups (for him) since Phil Kessel played for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Kessel, you may remember, signed an eight-year extension to stay in Toronto and was traded a season later. The fifth best player in modern Leafs history (after Matthews, Marner, Sundin and Gilmour) Kessel is denied LEGENDARY STATUS only because the team failed so badly to build around him.
Despite that, make no mistake, Kessel is one of of the best players to ever put on the blue and white.
At this point, he’s an iron-man and not much else. He is four years removed from his last 30 goal season, his WAR is nothing to write home about.
Kessel, however, could potentially be revitalized by a return to the Leafs, and getting to play down in the lineup. Much like Jason Spezza, Kessel could probably dominate the kinds of players he’d face on the fourth line, and he’s make the second power-play much better.
The Leafs are already paying him about a million dollars, so maybe there is a way to work it out so they only pay $4 million of his cap hit. Maybe there is a way to fit him in there near the end of the season.
There is, honestly, probably better ways for the Toronto Maple Leafs to spend their money. That said, sometimes realism is boring. Though it likely won’t happen, I would love to see Phil Kessel back with the Leafs.
His leadership and experience would be helpful, and he’s just an all-round great guy who people love to have around. He’s make the Leafs better, and as a fan, there isn’t too much better than a victory lap from an old favorite.
Short of a Stanley Cup, brining back Kessel is one of the best things I think could happen to the Leafs. (all stats naturalstattrick.com).
Dylan Larkin
Larkin is an elite centre/winger who is better than 89% of NHL players in the last two combined seasons.
Larkin makes $6 million dollars, is 25 years old and has one more year remaining on his contract. The Detroit Red Wings are still a while from competing, and their current record this year is inflated and not an indication that their rebuild is almost over.
The picks and prospects the Wings could get for Larkin could be extremely beneficial and you’d have to think that they would at least explore trading him.
The Leafs don’t really have a need specifically for a player like this, but adding elite players to any position makes you better. In fact, I’d say that teams are 99% too focused on positional needs. The Leafs could add their dream defense target and it wouldn’t make them better than if they stayed the same on the blue-line and added Larkin.
Is it realistic? Probably not. The Wings could likely extract a King’s Ransom for such a player, but this is a dream list, not a realistic list.
Just imagine the Leafs start out with Mathews and Bunting, then through out Tavares and Marner, then on their 3rd line it’s Larkin and Nylander. How would anyone defend against that?
If the Leafs don’t get past the first round, then Kyle Dubas won’t have a job any more. Therefore, a big move like this is in his best interest. Dylan Larkin would be an amazing addition.
Damon Severson
Right Handed, Top Pairing defenseman are the NHL’s White Whale – often hunted, rarely caught.
Sure, the Leafs have Justin Holl and he’s a perfectly adequate, above average, number-four. But if you want to win in the playoffs, having four legitimate number-ones couldn’t hurt.
Damon Severson is an elite puck-mover who has very good defensive metrics that are just not-quite-elite, but still very good.
Most players are either very good offensively or very good defensively. Severson is a hybrid who excels at both ends of the rink. Put him on Toronto and they’ve got two top-pairings and four number-ones, as well as one of the best 3rd pairings in the NHL.
The cost will be high, but considering the Devils record, he’s almost certainly going to be available.
There simply isn’t another player who is likely to be available and who would fit in on the Leafs so well. Not only is Severson a glove-like fit for the Leafs system, but he’s the exact position that they need (right-side defender).
This would be a massive upgrade on par with when the Toronto Maple Leafs added Jake Muzzin or when the Lightning added Ryan Mcdonugh
The #1 Dream Trade Deadline Acquisition for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Claude Giroux may be 34, but he’s still an elite game-breaking superstar.
On the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he would be the 5th scoring forward to watch out for, he’d be nearly unstoppable. Teams already have no answer for the relentless attack the Leafs have to offer, and with Giroux in the fold (same as if they added Larkin) they’d be like a hot knife slicing through butter.
On a bad team as the opposing defender’s main focus, Giroux is still nearly averaging a point-per-game at age 34. On Toronto he’d have so much room to operate he’d feel like he was playing in the AHL.
This level of upgrade may or may not be in the Leafs plans, but it should be.
The current management group has nothing to lose, so I expect they will make a big move, and the move to make is to pry Claude Giroux out of Philly.
He’s tough, he can score, he can defend, and his leadership couldn’t hurt. Giroux is the total package, and it would be Christmas in Leafland if they traded for him.
Next. Leafs Top 10 Prospects. dark
Adding Claude Giroux will make the Toronto Maple Leafs the NHL’s best team, so they should make it happen.