Toronto Maple Leafs: What a Blockbuster All-In Move Would Actually Look Like

The Toronto Maple Leafs recently acquired Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari to bolster their lineup for the playoffs.

It was a good trade, but not nearly enough to put the Toronto Maple Leafs over the top.

Sure, they could win the cup with their current roster.  They could have won it before adding O’Reilly, and they were good enough to have won it any time over the last five or so years.

They didn’t.

In order to give themselves the best chance, they need to make a bigger trade.   This trade was good, but the people saying the Leafs went “all-in” clearly do not understand that phrase.

The Leafs didn’t spend either of their three best assets: Matthew Knies, and the unprotected first round picks in 2024 and 2025.  It is not technically possible to go all-in if you still have your best assets.

The Leafs should go all-in, they just haven’t yet.

What the Toronto Maple Leafs Going All-In Actually Looks Like

What the Leafs got so far is good, not great.  If you add an elite, no-doubt, #1 defenseman to this group, then you will really be cooking with fire.

The Leafs can create cap space by trading Kerfoot and Holl for draft picks to contending teams.

They then take those picks, along with Matt Murray, Matthew Knies and two first round picks + whatever other stuff the Coyotes want, and they get Jakob Chychrun, Barrett Hayton and Karl Vejmelka.

Trading Murray gives the Leafs a more reliable goalie, and they can maybe use the potential of Hayton on their 3rd or 4th line.  They wouldn’t have to worry so much about Samsonov under these circumstances.

Barrett Hayton is 22, formerly a 5th overall pick, and he could add some talent lower in the lineup, or maybe even be a sneaky addition to a scoring line.

But it’s adding Chychrun that makes the difference.  As nice as they are as cheap additions, neither O’Reilly or Acciarri is an elite player.  Chychrun is, and as such, he will make the Toronto Maple Leafs much better than they are today.

With the addition of Ryan O’Reilly, the Leafs don’t really get better.  Unless he suddenly becomes the point-per-game, elite defender he was three years ago, this week’s version of the team isn’t significantly better than last weeks.

It is marginally better – and that does matter – but it’s not the big step people are making it out to be because Ryan O’Reilly ain’t the same guy he used to be.

That is why they should have gone for Timo Meier – elite players make your team way better.

By adding Jakob Chychrun, the Leafs could take a significant step, and have the one thing they’ve never had in the Matthews era – a no doubt #1 elite defenseman.  Solidifying the goaltending and adding a talented 22 year old are just bonuses.

The trade here is just an example of what a Blockbuster, All-In move actually looks like, because the Ryan O’Reilly Trade was not an example of either.