The Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs have engaged in two thrilling playoff series over the past few seasons, establishing a rivalry.
However, the question arises: should the Toronto Maple Leafs pursue a blockbuster trade at the NHL Trade Deadline this year?
Given the Detroit Red Wings’ performance and the rising competition in the Metropolitan Division, there’s no assurance that the Lightning will make the playoffs this year.
Would they trade their former franchise player?
Toronto Maple Leafs Should Trade For Steven Stamkos
With one year remaining on his contract and significant financial commitments to Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, Mikhail Sergachev, Victor Hedman, and Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning are projected to have only $12 million in cap space next year.
This leaves minimal room to re-sign Stamkos, set to become one of the most highly-touted UFAs next summer.
While prioritizing their captain seems logical, the financial constraints may prompt the Lightning to consider moving on from Stamkos. Despite being the team’s heart and soul, he played only one playoff game during the team’s first Stanley Cup win in the 2019-20 season, demonstrating success without him on the ice.
Additionally, you may remember that there were rumblings this past summer that Stamkos was upset that he wasn’t offered a new contract by the Lightning. If their relationship is soured, then that only increases the chances he could be traded.
And if he is, the Leafs should be interested.
If the Lightning are out of the playoff come March, they may be interested in getting something for Stamkos rather than letting him walk in the offseason for nothing.
Traditional thinking says that the Leafs should go for an elite defenseman, but those are incredibly hard to find. The Leafs could upgrade their blue-line with more modest players and use what cap space they do have to bring in another impact forward.
Matthews, Nylander, Maner and Tavares is already incredible, but if you add Stamkos to the fold, that becomes certifiably insane.
Stamkos, a proven Stanley Cup winner, brings an edge, and gives the Leafs another elite forward. Pairing him with John Tavares on the second line or making Tavares or Stamkos the third-line center would make the Leafs formidable.
Lightning GM Julien BriseBois has expressed that he wants to wait to re-sign Stamkos, so the longer he waits, the more realistic a trade like this could happen, as it’s very possible Tampa Bay is on the outside looking in, regarding a playoff spot by this year’s Trade Deadline.
Adding Stamkos introduces a dynamic element to the lineup. The only question is what would the cost be?
Pending UFAs can be expensive, last year’s trade for Timo Meier seems like a reasonable guidline. The Devils paid a conditional first and second round pick, a seventh rounder, 2 decent but not great prospects, and 2 players to make the cap work. This also included the Sharks retaining half of Meier’s cap-hit.
That seams like something the Leafs could do to boost their Cup chances if they are in a playoff spot and Tampa isn’t come March.
Call me crazy for wishing this would happen, but envisioning an extended Leafs window with Stamkos, Marner, Matthews, Nylander and Tavares is a scenario I’d love to see. Let’s just hope the Leafs don’t bring in Canadian Tire again if they attempt to pitch him to stay long-term, as that failed once already.