Toronto Maple Leafs: Who Are the Biggest Trade Deadline Losers?
By James Tanner
The NHL’s Trade Deadline Losers (Not the Toronto Maple Leafs!)
- The San Jose Sharks
You don’t want to be the first team to trade the Norris Trophy winning in the middle of the season, but come on.
Failing to move Erik Karlsson was an abject failure by a team who got a magical gift and threw it directly into the garbage.
Erik Karlsson found a time machine and is back to being the best defensemen since Nic Lidstrom retired. He could potentially hit 100 points. He has four more points at 5v5 than Connor McDavid (in one less game) to lead the NHL in the most important category.
He has a 56% Expected Goals rating on what without him would hockey’s worst team.
The fact that San Jose couldn’t/didn’t trade him is one of the biggest failures in NHL history.
The Toronto Maple Leafs supposedly looked into it and decided they couldn’t make the cap work. They should have tried harder, as there wasn’t another player within 100 miles of how good Karlsson is available.
Erik Karlsson has a 56% xGoals rating on what without him is the worst team in the NHL + leads the NHL in 5v5 points, with 4 more than McDavid has in 1 less game. He is going to win the Norris Trophy, and it's a shame he wasn't traded to a playoff team, specifically the Leafs.
— Editor in Leaf (@EditorinLeaf) March 7, 2023
Additionally, the Sharks traded superstar Timo. Meier to the Devils and all they got back was a B level prospect and three picks, include a very low first. What an awful return.
If you are reading this post, congratulations, you are qualified to be the GM of at least one NHL team. I didn’t think someone could make Ken Holland look good, but at least Mike Grier can say he’s a rookie, an excuse his counterpart in Tampa certainly can’t use.