10 Massive Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Targets for the NHL Trade Deadline

A Pair from Chicago

The recent history of the Blackhawks has been a successful one. A great deal of that success can be attributed to two players in particular. They are the team captain, Jonathan Toews and alternate captain Patrick Kane. Together, they got to hoist Lord Stanley’s Mug three times.

The reason both are listed together as trade targets is because of a similarity in each of their current deals. While both men each have a cap hit this year of $10.5 million, negotiations for either of them could be a non-starter since they also have no-move clauses in their respective contracts. For two players who have spent their entire careers in Chicago, there is a good chance that they could make themselves unavailable.

Jonathan Toews (C)

Toews is off to a hot start this season. Through his first 19 contests, he has flustered goalies to the tune of eight goals and five assists. The center is not just producing but also putting up great possession metrics. This season, while playing even strength, he has posted a Corsi percentage of 45.0. What makes it impressive is that it is 5.1 greater than his team.

Now 34, Toews has done a lot of winning. Not only is he a multi-time Cup winner, but he’s also won a slew of medals on the international stage. He has two Olympic golds, a silver and a gold from the World Championships, a World Cup gold, two World Junior Championship golds, and even a World U-17 gold.

Toews would make a great leader on the ice and the dressing room for the  Leafs. From the perspective of position, the Leafs don’t need another center. However, if they can find a way to add Toews, Keefe would certainly find a way to shuffle the lines. The  Toronto Maple Leafs would unquestionably be better with Toews in blue and white.

Patrick Kane (RW)

Kane’s name has been floating about since the summer in connection to just about every expected NHL contender. That’s because his skill level is off the charts. The 2007 first-overall draft pick may even be the greatest American player to ever lace a pair of skates.

Kane’s trophy case is full. Along with his Cup wins, he’s captured the Hart Trophy, the Art Ross Trophy, the Ted Lindsay Award, and a Conn Smythe Trophy. With all that individual success, hoisting another Stanley Cup may be Kane’s primary focus at this point in his career. For that to happen, he’ll need to be surrounded by the right cast of players. That just might be the Maple Leafs.

Kane is a crafty player who finds ways to get himself on the score sheet. He’s twice had seasons with point totals greater than 100 and he’s scored more than 40 goals on a campaign twice in his career. Last season, Kane managed to put up 26 goals and 66 helpers for a sum of 92 points in 78 games. If the 34-year-old is in fact available and willing to move, he could very well be the missing piece the Toronto Maple Leafs need.