Kyle Dubas loading up the Toronto Maple Leafs for playoffs
Saying that general manager Kyle Dubas shocked Toronto Maple Leafs fans on Tuesday would be an understatement. In the span of about 45 minutes, Dubas shocked Leafs Nation with a flurry of trades.
Fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs knew something was up at 3:50 pm when TSN’s Mark Masters reported that Rasmus Sandin departed practice for non-medical reasons. The team announced at 4:30 pm that Sandin had been traded to the Washington Capitals for defenseman Erik Gustafsson and Boston’s first-round pick in 2023.
The team then announced at 4:45 pm that forward Pierre Engvall was being traded to the New York Islanders for a third-round pick in 2024. This deal moves Engvall’s $2.25 million cap hit and frees up a roster spot. A roster spot that Dubas did not waste any time filling.
At 5:08 pm, Toronto announced that they acquired former Maple Leafs’ defenseman Luke Schenn from the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick in 2023. This trade completed the flurry of moves by Dubas. Toronto now has nine defensemen on their 23-man roster. Another trade is bound to happen soon, and all eyes are on Justin Holl being traded away.
Toronto Maple Leafs Newest Players
Erik Gustafsson
Erik Gustafsson is a left-shooting defenseman that weighs in at 6’0, 197 Lbs. He has seven goals and 31 assists for 38 points in 61 games. His salary cap hit of $800,000 is a plus too. Gustafsson is averaging 20:22 minutes of ice time this season and is the perfect fit for Toronto’s power play.
Luke Schenn
Some could say that the prodigal son has returned. Luke Schenn was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs 5th overall in the first round of the 2008 NHL draft. Sadly, for him, Toronto was desperate and rushed him into the NHL too soon. He never lived up to the hype that surrounded him after being drafted. Schenn is now a two-time Stanley Cup winner (Tampa Bay) with 15 years and over 900 games of experience. He plays a very physical game (258 hits) and has a low cap hit ($850,000).
Kyle Dubas and Toronto Maple Leafs not Finished
Toronto’s 23-man roster consists of two goaltenders, nine defensemen, and 12 forwards. Ideally, Toronto would like to have eight defensemen and 13 forwards. So, could we see another trade today? If so, it will likely be pending UFA defenseman, Justin Holl.
So far, in the past 12 days, Dubas has added Ryan O’Reilly, Noel Acciari, Jake McCabe, Sam Lafferty, Erik Gustafsson, and Luke Schenn without trading away any of Toronto’s top prospects (Matthew Knies, Fraser Minten, Topi Niemela, and Ty Voit). Toronto still has first-round picks in 2023 and 2024.
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Dubas has put together a team that appears to be built for playoff success by only sacrificing Sandin and Engvall from their NHL roster, along with Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev from AHL Toronto Marlies, and a bunch of draft picks over the next three seasons.