Toronto Maple Leafs: Near Impossible Trade Must Happen This Summer

The Toronto Maple Leafs will need to pull off the near impossible this summer, by trading away Jake Muzzin to free up some cap space.

Just a couple of short years ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Jake Muzzin to a $5.625 million contract. Unfortunately, it’s now an anchor in terms of other contract renewals.

We might not quite have foreseen the severe concussions and injuries that have piled up on Muzzin’s body, but equally it’s plausible that you could’ve predicted it given his harder hitting physical style.

Either way, these injuries are what makes his contract near impossible to shake. That and the dreaded no move clause.

Toronto Maple Leafs Have Limited Choices With Jake Muzzin

Of course, the Toronto Maple Leafs have also made things harder for themselves this trade deadline by not using Muzzin’s cap space to add a bonus player or two.

After all, nefarious or not, they could’ve left him on long term injured reserve until the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Given his re-injury upon return, it’s fair to say he might have rushed back a little too fast as it is.

Perhaps the only way you might see Jake Muzzin waiving his no trade clause is if the Toronto Maple Leafs do the unthinkable and win the Stanley Cup this season.

If that occurs; what will Muzzin have left to accomplish in his career. This is a man with World Championship and World Cup gold, as well as already having lifted the Stanley Cup once before during his time in Los Angeles.

To win the Stanley Cup with his hometown team would surely be the pinnacle and might open his decision making up a little.

Alternately, and this is not anyone’s preferred option, he will take a long hard look at the damage he may be causing his body and opt for retirement. After all, it’s still not known with full clarity the impact concussions from sporting contact can have longer term.

Again, making that sort of decision becomes a lot easier if the Toronto Maple Leafs achieve their unthinkable goal. That after all is the point making this a near impossible trade to make.

Couple that with teams likely not being too keen to throw themselves at a $5.625 million cap hit for a player that spends long stints injured and you’re got a real dilemma.

Muzzin has been a great influence for the Toronto Maple Leafs; for long stretches, he has certainly been one of (if not the) best defensive player on the team.

When Jake Muzzin is having a game, even at 33 years old, you still know it. He shuts other teams down in such an effective manner and pre-Giordano and Lyubushkin, was one of the few guys on the blue line that truly threw their body around.

Yet with raises due to his younger blue line counterparts and with Morgan Rielly now set to earn closer to his value, something has to give.

Unfortunately for Jake Muzzin, if the Toronto Maple Leafs can pull it off, that something or someone is him.