The Toronto Maple Leafs Still Haven’t Made Their Big Move
The Toronto Maple Leafs traded for Ryan O’Reilly with a 75% reduction of salary, and also added a depth player and a depth prospect to their team.
In order to do this, the Toronto Maple Leafs spent a first round pick, as well as several other draft picks which are not important.
The fact that they were able to acquire a player who looks like a great fit for peanuts is very impressive, but what they do next will define the Kyle Dubas Era.
If the Leafs are smart, they have not made their biggest move yet.
Toronto Maple Leafs Must Do More
Magical thinking is in full effect this weekend in Toronto.
The Leafs did not trade for the anywhere close to the best player available, but you wouldn’t know that if you watched the post-trade analysis: Don’t worry about age related decline, injuries, or the history of such players. Just pretend its still 2019 and you didn’t get a massive discount for a reason!
Now don’t get me wrong, I love the trade – in a vacuum. But as the Big Move I don’t like it at all.
What happens next will determine if this is a good trade.
The thing of it is, though, that the Leafs are still in very good position to keep adding.
Alex Kerfoot and Justin Holl make the same money as Jacob Chychrun, so you don’t have to pay Arizona to retain money.
Will they give the Leafs Chychrun for a non-lottery protected future first round pick and Matthews Knies, while not having to retain salary? I have no idea, but I’m sure the Leafs could throw in extra picks and prospects until they said yes.
I mean, why not?
Ryan O’Reilly makes you a lot better if he can get back to the player he used to be. That’s a big ask for an injury prone grinder with the current production level of a sub-Pierre Engvall player.
But if you add an elite player, then Ryan O’Reilly becomes a great depth addition with upside, and that is a much better situation to find yourself in.
If Chychrun or Erik Karlsson are too ambitious , it doesn’t mean you can’t still go after Timo Meier. An elite player is an elite player, no matter where they play.
The bottom line is this: The Leafs have cap space, and assets to still make an other, even bigger move.
Trade Grade. dark. Next
The Toronto Maple Leafs are not done yet. Or at least, they shouldn’t be.