3 Reasons Why the Toronto Maple Leafs Have to Trade for Patrik Laine
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Patrik Laine are a match made in heaven.
The Toronto Maple Leafs "missing piece" just became available for trade last week.
And now that the Columbus Blue Jackets have Patrik Laine on the market, the Toronto Maple Leafs need to act.
This is a no-brainer for Leafs GM Brad Treliving: buy low on an a franchise player who has Hall of Fame talent.
No team should be more aggressive in their pursuit of Patrik Laine than the Leafs. There are three main reasons why, and I'll outline them now.
3 Reasons Why the Toronto Maple Leafs Have to Trade for Patrik Laine
1. The Leafs Need Depth Scoring.
The Leafs biggest problem has always been that they assume they have their offense locked up and they spend all their efforts making their team more defensive, harder to play against, bigger, etc.
It's time for the Leafs to lean into their identity - a high flying goal scoring team full of talent.
The addition of a goal scoring talent like Laine, especially in a position where he won't be asked to be a franchise player, will be incredible. The Leafs would have 4 x 40 scorers on their roster (Matthews, Laine, Tavares, Nylander) in addition to Mitch Marner, Nick Robertson, Max Domi, and Easton Cowan.
Let's be realistic: The Leafs scored 2 goals or less in six of seven playoff games. In their one exception, they scored a whopping three times.
That makes it clear they need offense, but all they've done this summer is get less offensive by losing Tyler Bertuzzi and maybe Nick Robertson.
The Leafs biggest weakness has gotten weaker since they last played a game. They obviously need more scoring and Patrik Laine is the surest way to get it.
2. Buy-Low Opportunities on Star Players Are Rare
In a salary capped league, contract value is the driving force of success. Therefore, whenever a potential superstar becomes available, who could potentially be acquired with half his cap hit retained, every team should be interested.
In a league with a draft, where star players rarely change teams, acquiring star players in their primes is very difficult, but as we've seen, it can be worth it.
Both Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart were traded when their value was low, recovered, and went on to win Stanley Cups.
Laine represents a similar type of player, only one whose value is even lower and who should be available with half his salary retained.
There is an obvious advantage to buying low on talented players. Sure, there is also obvious risk, but the rewards - having a better roster than you're supposed to be able to assemble in a league with a draft and a salary cap - can be, and often are, sky high.
Laine is not just recovering from shoulder surgery and a major nadir in his career, but he is also coming out of the NHL's Substance Abuse Program, and while he should be applauded for facing his demons and getting the help he needs, this certainly adds a risk factor to trading for him.
With the double risk of injury and addiction, not to mention a massive $8 million + cap-hit, the cost to acquire Patrik Laine will certainly be extremely cheap compared to his potential, should he get his career back on track.
In fact, I would wager that most of the value the Blue Jackets will get back for Laine will be for retaining half his salary.
3. The Leafs Actually Have the Cap Space
Well, technically they only have about $1.2 million right now, which may or may not have to go to Jani Hakanpaa.
But, they have quite a lot of cap-space that they could clear off the books.
David Kampf makes $2.4 million and Calle Jarnkrok makes $2.1 million. That is $4.5 million in wasted cap space. Neither player has a spot on the current roster that couldn't easily be filed by a cheaper option from the AHL.
Patrik Laine makes $8.7 and if Columbus retains half of that, it's $4.35 million.
Laine, retained, makes less than Kampf and Jarnkrok combined, which means the Leafs could easily afford him.
That means all the Leafs would have to do is offer the Blue Jackets enough motivation to eat $4.35 million x 2.
The Jackets won't get much for Laine at his full price, but I think an unprotected 2028 first round pick, Bobby McMann (who becomes obsolete with Laine on the team) and Fraser Minten would be a generous package that the Leafs could stomach paying.
Ultimately, I doubt Laine gets traded for even that much, which means the Leafs have the assets to get this done. They have the cap space, and both the need and opportunity are there.
There are few no-brainer decisions in the NHL, but this is one of them:
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The Toronto Maple Leafs must trade for Patrick Laine.