5 NHL Stars Who May Get Traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs
5 NHL Stars Who May Get Traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Shayne Gostisbehere
Shayne Gostisbehere is an intriguing player.
Selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the third round, 78th overall in the 2012 draft, the defenseman very quickly turned heads.
When he first broke into the NHL, there was a buzz about him. He showed that he could generate offense from the rear without over-committing and leaving his club vulnerable.
Though he had already played a pair of games for the Flyers, Gostisbehere’s rookie season was 2015-16. That year, he played 64 games where he scored 17 goals and added 29 assists for a total of 46 points.
The Flyers weren’t able to escape the first round of the playoffs, but in the six contests they played, Gostisbehere recorded a goal and an assist.
The following season the defender collected 39 points on seven goals and 32 assists in 76 games. His best season was the very next one in 2017-18.
Gostisbehere had 65 regular season points in 78 contests. The campaign consisted of 13 goals and 52 assists. While he never reached that sum again, he’s remained a capable player with proven scoring and facilitating abilities.
On July 1, 2023, Gostisbehere signed with his current team, the Detroit Red Wings. They agreed to a one-year pact worth $4.125M. That’s the same value and length of a deal that the Leafs gave John Klingberg.
From a purely point production perspective, Klingberg recorded 33 points in 67 games on 10 goals and 23 assists. Gostisbehere played 75 games where he registered 41 points on 13 goals and 28 assists.
Gostisbehere isn’t one of the NHL’s best shutdown defenseman but he has more success at it than Klingberg. If Klingberg couldn’t finish the season for some reason, there’s no doubt that Steve Yzerman’s phone in Detroit would start to ring with an offer by Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Noah Hanifin
Noah Hanifin very nearly became a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
When the Leafs had the chance to draft Hanifin and instead (correctly) selected Mitch Marner back in 2015, at least half the fanbase was upset they didn’t take the big defenseman.
When the Leafs passed on Hanafin, it allowed the Carolina Hurricanes to take him one slot after Marner. While the former Boston College Eagles defender didn’t live up to expectations, he has proven himself to be a solid NHL defenseman.
Hanafin is in the final season of his six-year $29.7M deal with the Calgary Flames. It carries a cap hit of $4.95M.
Just like Gostisbehere, Hanafin has established himself as someone who can help generate offense for his team. His most productive have been the last two. In 2021-22, Hanafin played 81 games where he scored 10 goals and recorded 38 assists for a total of 48 points. Those numbers took a small dip this past season when the 26-year-old, who played the same number of games, collected 38 points on seven goals and 31 assists.
Despite his possession metrics taking a hit this past season, Hanafin remains a reliable player in and out of his own zone. His two-way style of play is possible to due to his strong skating ability and skillful puck-handling.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will be interested in Hanafin because of what he can bring. This includes playing an average of 22:39 minutes per game last season.
Tyler Myers
Tyler Myers is not a star, and he’s barely even a replacement player at this point, but he is big so teams keep thinking he is a good.
Standing 6-feet, 8-inches tall, he would immediately become the tallest player to ever play for the Blue and White. Myers weighs in at 229-pounds.
Myers is making big money, which could prove difficult for the Maple Leafs to absorb into their salary cap.
He is earning $6M this season, which is about a $5 million overpayment. Jim Benning signed Myers to a five-year $30M contract with the Vancouver Canucks that expires at the end of this season.
There is a reason he isn’t currently an NHL GM.
While the 33-year-old from Houston, Texas has a large AAV, he is extremely big, and he is sort-of a name-brand, so he does seem like someone Brad Treliving might be interested in.
Myers has proven that he’s a big hitter that makes his presence known on the ice. He has not finished a season with positive puck-possession stats since 2017-18. In a 16 year career, he’s finished with a positive expected goals rating just twice, the last time being in 2016-17.
Where fans would cringe watching Myers play is seeing how prone the big man is to giveaways. This past season, he gave the puck away 48 times. In comparison, he had just 25 takeaways.
Matt Dumba
Matt Dumba went into free agency this past summer having only experienced one team in his 10-year NHL career.
At age 29, he is away from the Minnesota Wild for the first time. In August, Bill Armstrong signed Dumba to the Phoenix Coyotes on a one-year $3.9M contract.
He would have been a significant upgrade to the Toronto Maple Leafs defensive core.
When he signed a deal worth less than Klingberg’s, Leafs fans began to scratch their heads.
He is a far more physical and defensively aware player who would help make the team better. Granted, Dumba’s offensive upside isn’t as high as Klingberg’s. Dumba’s 2022-23 campaign saw him collect four goals and 10 assists in 79 games.
At his current cap hit, Dumba is a steal. His previous contract was worth $30M over six years, with a value of $6M per season.
Most likely, the reason he’s signed for just one season is to prove his worth and earn a greater salary on a longer term next offseason.
We will see what that looks like then, but for now, the Leafs should keep Dumba on their radar. If the Coyotes appear to be a team outside of the playoff picture, they will surely be looking to trade Dumba.
Toronto would be an ideal destination for the right defenseman from Regina, Saskatchewan.
Anthony Mantha
Anthony Mantha has a lot to prove this season. Known as a speedy winger who uses his large six-feet five-inch frame and 234-pounds to lay out opponents, he needs to return to the form that made him a brand name player in the NHL.
Mantha was a dangerous forward who could put points on the board while he was playing for the Red Wings. He had back-to-back 48 point seasons where he scored 24 and 25 goals over 80 and 67 game campaigns respectively.
In April of 2021, the Red Wings moved Mantha to the Washington Capitals for a package of forwards Jakub Vrana and Richard Panik, and a 2021 first-round and a 2022 second-round pick. The move to the Capitals turned out to be a poor one for both Mantha and Washington.
Mantha’s best season with the Caps was this past one. He played 67 games where he scored 11 goals and 16 assists for a total of 27 points. His time-on-ice last campaign was also the lowest of his career. He played just 14:13 per game.
None of that would be much of a problem, except the Capitals are paying Mantha a cap hit of $5.7M. He will need to pick up his production to reach his value.
Mantha has shown dedication to trying to improve his play. He hired a “mental coach” last season and the pair continue to work together. Physically, he has also been putting in the work to return back to form. The winger has already lost 10 pounds.
If the off-ice efforts pay off, Mantha may be able to improve his play. Everyone is hoping that he can live up to former expectations. If he’s able to pick up his pace and start scoring again, the Leafs could be interested in bringing him in. The cost of acquisition would be next to nothing for Toronto.
Next. Leafs Top 10 Prospects. dark
The Leafs have a great deal of work to do to establish exactly who they are this season. With the trade deadline months away, we will see which NHL player rises to the top of the Leafs’ wish list.