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2 Potential Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Targets Injured Long-Term

By Stephen Nixon

ST. LOUIS, MO - FEBRUARY 19: Vladimir Tarasenko #91 of the St. Louis Blues controls the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Enterprise Center on February 19, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - FEBRUARY 19: Vladimir Tarasenko #91 of the St. Louis Blues controls the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Enterprise Center on February 19, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs were rumored to be interested in Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko, but both players were injured over the weekend.

Ryan O’Reilly will miss a minimum of six weeks with a broken foot, while Vladimir Tarsenko will miss four weeks with a hand injury, so that may limit the chances that the Toronto Maple Leafs trade for one of these players.

Are the Leafs one of the best teams in the league right now?

100 percent, yes.

However, they can always improve and one of the areas that they need to upgrade is their top-six. I know they have four of the best 50 (arguably) players in the NHL, but they can always add another winger or centre, pushing Tavares to the wing.

O’Reilly and Tarsenko both are 31-years-old, make $7.5M and have expiring deals. As a result, they were going to be very high-commodities at the NHL Trade Deadline this year as rentals, especially if the Blues were sellers.

Even if the Blues are looking to make a run at the playoffs this year, one of those players could easily be on the trade market, just because they’re not going to be able to afford both of them next year.

Toronto Maple Leafs Could Still Look to Target Both Blues Forwards

A broken foot and hand injury are no small wounds for the soon-to-be UFA’s. As a result, their trade market could grow smaller as teams may be worried about trading for someone who’s that recently hurt.

A hand injury can linger all year, especially for a player who’s best known for their shooting ability, while a broken foot could take even longer to heal than expected.

However, I think either player is worth the risk, with O’Reilly being the better asset in my opinion.

Tavares is still good at centre, but I love the thought of having a minimum of two players on a line who can play centre.

As such, O’Reilly as your second-line centre would be an unbelievable piece, paired beside Tavares and Marner.

O’Reilly has won a Stanley Cup, but even better, has won a Conn Smythe Trophy. That type of leader can be the difference in advancing in the playoffs.

This guy has won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, so a Game 7 in the First Round should be a breeze. Obviously, it takes more than one player to win a playoff series, but he’s the type of player that can shift a series, not only because of his offensive skill but because he’s one of the best two-way centre’s in the NHL.

He’s just as good, if not better than Matthews defensively, which says a lot about him.

3 Potential Leafs Trades. dark. Next

The injuries are tough because it feels like Dubas loves to make moves early, but based on this timeline it’s still possible that one of these players are a member of the Leafs before the NHL Trade Deadline this year.

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