5 NHL Trade Deadline Deals the Toronto Maple Leafs Should Consider
By Mike Jack
2. Juuse Saros - Time for the Toronto Maple Leafs to solidify their net
General Manager, Brad Treliving, came to the Toronto Maple Leafs with a reputation for building teams from the net out. Because of that reputation, I wouldn't be surprised if he made a bold move to place an established presence in net.
Ilya Samsonov has been everything but stable in the Maple Leafs net this season. He has been better since his AHL stint, but he hasn't exactly been stealing games. Joseph Woll has become the better goaltender for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he's still relatively inexperienced and may not be ready for what's hopefully a deep playoff run, especially coming off an injury.
He may be posting some of the worst numbers of his career, but Juuse Saros was a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2022. Even in an off year, Saros is one of the best goalies in the NHL. It isn't often that a goaltender of his caliber becomes available, and if he is available, the Toronto Maple Leafs should pounce on him while they have the chance.
The Nashville Predators have been on a winning streak and have recently moved into a wild card spot. This could have an impact on the trade rumours around Juuse Saros.
If the Toronto Maple Leafs are able to make a move for Saros, they're really going to have to break the bank in terms of assets going the other way and accommodating his $5 million contract for this season and the next.