3 teams with impending fire sales the Toronto Maple Leafs can target
With roughly six weeks into the regular season, rumours are beginning to surface about teams punting on this season. These teams could provide valuable assets the Toronto Maple Leafs can target ahead of the trade deadline.
Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving is surely keeping an eye on the standings roughly a month and a half into the season.
But the scoreboard watching isn’t about which teams are ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s about which teams have sunk to the bottom of their respective division. These teams could be big sellers at the trade deadline.
Depending on the circumstances, some of these clubs could be motivated to hold a fire sale if they fall out of contention by Christmas. While there’s always a chance these teams could turn things around, the numbers show they’re trending in the wrong direction.
Though Leafs GM Brad Treliving has been fairly shy about making trades so far in his tenure - he hasn't made a single one of significance - it seems that he'll have to make a few this year because the Leafs are in win-now mode and have several obvious weaknesses.
The Leafs have a almost no scoring from the bottom of their lineup and are dressing up to five fourth liners per game sometimes. Additionally they are one of the thinnest teams in the league at centre-ice, despite having one of, if not the very best, top-two centre combos.
The Leafs will also need to shore up their blue-line if they are going to win, though finding the kind of player they need to do that in-season could prove to be difficult.
So, let’s take a look at three teams with impending fire sales the Toronto Maple Leafs could target ahead or at the trade deadline.
3 teams the Toronto Maple Leafs can target ahead of the trade deadline
Nashville Predators
The Preds made a huge splash this offseason landing big-name free agents like Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault. Nashville also locked up goaltender Juuse Saros with a massive eight-year extension.
However, things haven’t gone too well for the Predators in their first six weeks of the season. Nashville is dead last in the Central Division, one point back of the Chicago Blackhawks. As such, the Predsators will need to decide if they want to keep the course or pivot at some point.
The Predators are in a highly complicated situation as blowing things up following major signings would certainly send the wrong message. But the club may have no other choice. A fire sale could involve selling off valuable pieces in exchange for positional needs.
Names floating around are Gustav Nyquist, Colton Sissons, and Michael McCarron. Also, defenceman Alexandre Carrier has also been subject of trade rumours.
For the Leafs, the names on chopping block for the Preds could represent depth pieces that would come in handy for a long playoff run, but there isn't really anything exciting on this roster short of a block-buster that would see them trade for a player with term on their contract, but even then, the players the Predators have are older, highly paid and with a long, long time left on their contracts.
Funny enough, with some salary retained, Ryan O'Reilly would be the most attractive player on the Predators roster, given the Leafs nearly pathetic centre ice depth.
If the Predators cannot climb out of the cellar by Christmas, GM Barry Trotz should expect his phone to ring quite a bit.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins are languishing in the Metro Division. GM Kyla Dubas’ strategy has mostly failed to yield results on the scoreboard. At the time of this article, the Penguins at 6-9-2, two points ahead of the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets.
Now, the Pens have a number of untradeable contracts because Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang are thought to be untouchable. But beyond those three, anyone could be on the block.
If the Pens find themselves well out of a playoff spot by Christmas, Dubas may choose to do a light retool (the club will wait until Crosby retires to blow everything up).
Piece like Anthony Beauvillier, Drew O’Connor, and Blake Lizotte could potentially be interesting fits from the Pens. On the blue line Marcus Pettersson and Matt Grzelcyk could be brought in as defensive depth, but none of these players would significantly help the Leafs.
The most interesting piece on the Penguins is Erik Karlsson. The ageless defender is still putting up elite on-ice numbers and would be the number-one defender the Leafs desperately need. He is 34 and has three years left at almost ten million, but if the Penguins retained salary he would be an incredible addition to the Leafs.
A fire sale by the Penguins could happen sooner than anticipated. The team already started selling off pieces like trading Lars Eller to the Washington Capitals for picks. It’s becoming increasingly evident that the Pens have a lost season upon them.
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken are in a state of limbo. They’re not good enough to be contenders, but the team isn’t bad enough to be in a lottery spot. The Kraken are sixth in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of last-place Anaheim Ducks.
So, the Kraken will need to make a tough choice. Do they start from scratch or try to retool on the fly? Now, a full-blown rebuild is probably the last thing the Kraken want, at least not now. If anything, the Kraken will be looking to retool.
But to do so, they’ll need cap space. The Kraken could entice big-name free agents, while also rounding out the roster with established names.
Yannni Gourde and Brandon Tanev have been making the rounds on the rumour mill. Will Borgen has also been rumoured to be available. But perhaps the most interesting name is Philipp Grubaeur. The Kraken committed to Joey Daccord this season, signing him to a deal that expires in 2030.
None of these players would appeal to or help the Toronto Maple Leafs - at least not significantly. The players on the Kraken that would meet the Leafs needs are Jared McCann, who would provide depth scoring that is far more reliable than anything on the current roster, or Vince Dunn who could be the number-one defender the Leafs need.
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The Kraken would obviously only move these guys if their season completely tanks, but either McMann or Dunn would help the Leafs fill their most obvious needs.