5 Off-Season Trade Targets that Actually Make Sense for the Toronto Maple Leafs
By James Tanner
Jacob Chychrun
Chychrun is probably never going to be the elite number-one minute muncher that Ottawa hoped for.
But it's not impossible that he does become that - he's never been a great team, or even a good team.
He is a pending UFA who makes under $5 million and thus represents an abundance of value. The Leafs really made a mistake in making their blue-line less mobile and worse at moving the puck, and getting Chychrun would vastly improve those things.
Chychrun is a steal at his current price point, and will excel on the Leafs who will likely rush the puck more and make more long passes under their new coach.
This gives the Leafs a player with some upside, a great contract, and a chance to prove it as he heads to unrestricted free-agency.
He will make the Leafs better, and addresses their biggest weakness which is their inability to move the puck up the ice.
It's a longshot he becomes the number-one they've long sought, but a trade like this is pretty low-risk and could allow them to take a shot at Brett Pesce in free-agency.