If the Toronto Maple Leafs Had the Best GM in the NHL, Here Is What Would Happen

The Toronto Maple Leafs under Brad Treliving have been a team enamored with name-brands and afraid to take risks.

This has led to bad contracts for the likes of David Kampf, Max Domi, John Klingberg and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, as well as last year's Trade Deadline Fiasco in which the Leafs ultimately played it safe only to lose in the playoffs by a single goal in the seventh and deciding game.

This year, the Leafs are again linked to a bevy of uninterested, past-their-prime players.

But if they had the best GM in the NHL, then this is what they'd do:

If the Toronto Maple Leafs Had the Best GM in the NHL, Here Is What Would Happen

If the Leafs were a well-run team, they'd recognize that they can fix nearly all of their problems internally and use what assets they do have to trade for the one thing they do not have in their organization: a number-one, elite, defenseman.

So the first thing they need to do is recognize that they have an incredible amount of young, speedy, skilled and cheap forwards: Nick Robertson, Matthew Knies, Bobby McMann, Pontus Holmberg, Alex Steeves and Fraser Minten are six players - half the forwards they need - who combined to make just $5.5 million dollars.

Using all of those players would allow them to move out David Kampf, Max Domi, Calle Jarnkrok, Max Pacioretty, Ryan Reaves, and Conor Dewar, which is $11.6 million, giving the Leafs a net savings of $6 million dollars which they could then use to improve their fourth line and blue-line.

The only moves the smart GM would make to improve the Leafs forwards would be for the fourth line. Brandon Tanev is a great option out of Seattle, and they've already let it be known that they'll retain money on his contract.

For basically nothing, the Leafs should be able to get Tanev on their team with an extremely small cap hit. Then, for even more depth, they should turn to the Predators and trade for Mark Jankowski. Jankowski makes $800 K and is even signed for next year.

He's a 6'4 monster and since he makes the league minimum he's the exact guy you want on your fourth line. A Steeves, Tanev, Jankowski fourth line would give the Leafs some much needed speed, jam and even a bit of scoring ability.

By utilizing their full contingent of NHL ready prospects who are yet to get paid big money, and by splitting up their three franchise players onto separate lines, the Leafs could put together a much faster, deeper, and more balanced forward line-up.

They could then use their cache of Easton Cowan, Topi Niemela, Ben Danford and draft picks to acquire a much needed defenseman for the top of their lineup. Targets would be Noah Dobson of the Islanders and Bowen Byram of the Sabres.