3 Options If the Toronto Maple Leafs Have to Trade Rasmus Sandin

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Apr 16, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson (6) takes a shot against the New Jersey Devils at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 2: Adam Larsson

Hypothetical Trade:

Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Adam Larsson
Seattle Kraken acquire: Rasmus Sandin

Another team that isn’t going to be any good anytime soon is the Seattle Kraken. Unlike the Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle is taking the traditional approach when it comes to expansion and is building around drafting and development.

By the time Seattle is potentially any good, Larsson’s contract will be up (he has three years left) and he could be on the decline of his career. The 29-year-old has a no-trade-clause, so he’d have to agree to it, but if he was looking to win, a Larsson for Sandin trade could work.

Long-term, the Leafs would definitely be losing this long-term trade. However, at the same time, Sandin only has 88 games of experience, so who are we to know he’ll be a top-four defenseman for the next decade, guaranteed?

Larsson, on the other hand, has 685 games of NHL experience and has shown his capabilities as a defensive top-four defenseman.

The right-handed shooting defenseman could jump into the top-six and could help provide some stability for Toronto’s defensive-group. Adding Larsson could help push TJ Brodie to the left-side and push Jake Muzzin out the door, which could help the overall group, or it could instead initiate a Justin Holl trade, which wouldn’t be a terrible idea.

Either way, trading for Larsson would give the Leafs another player with cap-security ($4M AAV x 3 years) and would help solve a hole if Sandin is unwilling to re-sign.

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