10 (Mostly) Elite Defensemen the Toronto Maple Leafs Could Trade For
By James Tanner
3. Seth Jones
At one time, Seth Jones was the NHL’s most overrated player.
He is still pretty overrated.
He is also 29, and signed until 2030.
He also has a full NTC and makes almost $10 million per year.
That said, should the rebuilding Blackhawks want out of the deal, which has to be among the NHL’s worst ever handed out, and should they be willing to eat some money, this could be a really good addition to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It’s got everything I like about a trade: It’s unrealistic, it’s probably not going to happen, and it would be insanely risky if it did.
Still, if you want to compete in a salary-cap league, you’ve got to look for value in other team’s errors.
Seth Jones at $10 million is horrendous.
But Seth Jones with some of that money retained, and acquired at a discount, could be an excellent source of value.
It’s also possible for a player like this to struggle because they get put in a situation they can’t handle. Since the Leafs didn’t sign him, they might be more inclined to use him on the second pairing where a) he’s never really played and b) he might be much, much better.
It’s a long-shot, probably even a no-shot, but they don’t just give away elite defenders, if you want to get one without drafting one, you likely have to overpay or take a massive risk.