At this point in the season, the ship has pretty much sailed on the Maple Leafs, making a major move to salvage the season. Any substantial moves would be better served as offseason transactions aimed to boost next season’s playoff chances.
That said, one insider keeps pushing the button on the Maple Leafs, making a major splash. In particular, James Mirtle of The Athletic believes that the Maple Leafs should pursue New Jersey Devils blueliner Dougie Hamilton.
Rumors involving Hamilton to the Maple Leafs are nothing new. The chatter was hot for a while and then cooled off. The talk about Hamilton heading out the door went into hibernation when the Devils lost Luke Hughes to a shoulder injury before the Olympics.
Mirtle acknowledges that the Maple Leafs need help on the blue line. But his pick to add Hamilton to address Toronto’s biggest issues is a bit questionable.
The biggest stumbling block is the Maple Leafs’ cap situation. The Leafs would need to clear space to fit in Hamilton’s cap hit, at least this season. That’s why an addition like Hamilton is better as an offseason move than a trade deadline situation.
But there’s one interesting reason that could justify Mirtle’s suggestion.
The Devils are still looking to move Hamilton. Just because Hughes is out doesn’t mean New Jersey feels it’s stuck with the veteran blueliner. So, if the Leafs take on the bulk of Hamilton’s cap hit, the deal could make sense for both sides.
In particular, the Leafs don’t have many assets, and the Devils will pretty much take anything they can get to clear Hamilton’s cap hit off the books. That’s why there might be legs to this deal after all.
Maple Leafs adding Hamilton makes sense, but not now
All told, adding Dougie Hamilton makes sense for the Toronto Maple Leafs. But it’s just not the sort of move to make now. The Leafs aren’t really in a position where adding Hamilton would make a substantial difference.
Unless the cap space makes sense for Toronto, GM Brad Treliving might be better off laying the groundwork at the NHL trade deadline this season. Then, he can pull the trigger on Hamilton with far more runway than right now.
That said, this is one of those rumors that just won’t go away. It makes sense for the Leafs to make something big happen. But as I have always cautioned, reactionary moves by GMs always pose the biggest risks.
That’s why a Hamilton trade is something better left for the offseason. Sure, there’s always room to fleece another desperate GM. But Treliving really hasn’t had a track record of doing that.