A Way Too Early Trade Deadline Checklist for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Even with the trade deadline just under 2 months away, I thought it'd be a good idea to speculate on some moves the Toronto Maple Leafs could make come deadline time.
The Toronto Maple Leafs currently sit in 3rd in the NHL's Atlantic Division, and if all goes according to plan, they'll have no problem making it into the playoffs.
However, the Toronto Maple Leafs are a very flawed team, and have made it this far in the season due to the MVP-style of play from William Nylander and Auston Matthews, along with hot goaltending from Martin Jones and Joseph Woll.
The Leafs have some massive holes on their roster that need to be fixed if this team wants to contend for the Stanley Cup.
Let's start with the forward group and what can be done to improve it.
A Way Too Early Trade Deadline Checklist for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Forwards
The Leafs forward lines have been in flux all season. Other than Auston Matthews and John Tavares playing center at both lines 1 and 2, respectively, coach Sheldon Keefe has been trying all sorts of line combinations with his forwards.
Despite me saying that, the Leafs forward group probably ranks in the top-5 of the NHL and really doesn't need a whole lot of additions.
Additions never hurt, however, and one thing the Leafs could really use is a top-6 winger.
If Tyler Bertuzzi can recapture his scoring touch like he did in last year's playoffs, this will not be an issue, but there are some intriguing names out there on the market if the Leafs want to make a splash.
One name is Andrei Kuzmenko, who despite having 74 points last year, has had his role reduced mightly this season and hasn't registered a point in almost a month. If given the right opportunity, he could flourish with the Leafs.
The big issue with Kuzmenko is he would be a very high-risk, high-reward type of aquisition. His contract is paying him $5.5 million over this year and next, which is less than ideal for the Leafs to take on, especially if he fails to live up to his potential.
Another interesting name is Anthony Duclair, who may not be a true top-6 forward anymore, but he would fit really well on this Leafs team.
He's fast, versatile, cheap, and has past chemistry from the 2015 World Juniors with Max Domi, where the 2 of them dominated the tournament together.
The Leafs could also be facing off agains the Florida Panthers in the first round of the playoffs, Duclair's former team.
Maybe he'll want some revenge for them trading him away last summer?
Now let's look at the defense and goaltending.
Defense
It's simple, the Leafs need a true top pairing defenseman. It's been the story all season, and come deadline time, Brad Treliving needs to pull the trigger on a d-man.
Jakob Chychrun is a good fit, specifically due to his cheap contract and puck-moving skills, but there's no guarantee that he'll be the guy, especially due to him being a left-handed player
Chris Tanev has also been a popular name, as he is known for his shutdown abilities and also being a right-handed defenseman. The only downside is he is 34, and the Leafs might want someone younger. He is also more of a depth addition than an "needle moving" type of impact trade.
Some other popular names include Noah Hanifin (who has a similar skill set to Chychrun but it also a left shot) and Sean Walker (who is fine but may not be the true high-end defenseman the Leafs want).
Regardless, the Leafs need to go all in on a defenseman (or two) if they want any chance of winning the Stanley Cup this year.
Goalies
The Toronto Maple Leafs goalie situation is precarious, at best. The Leafs are currently starting third-stringer Martin Jones. Despite a hot-streak that was incredibly impressive, Jones is a third stringer and nothing more. He isn't going to be able to carry the team for long, and if he goes cold before Woll can come back, the Leafs are going to be in real trouble.
Speaking of Joseph Woll, is an injury prone rookie who hasn't ever played anywhere close to a full NHL season really the guy you want manning the net in the playoffs? And at this point, the less said about Ilya Samsonov, the better.
If the Leafs trade for a goalie, they should not be giving up more than a mid-to-late round draft pick to acquire one as insurance. There just aren't an goalies available that would be worth parting with a lot of assets, and the team would be better served making smarter bets on possession players.
So despoite their obvious issues, unless Joseph Woll goes down with a season-ending injury, or Martin Jones and Ilya Samsonov are unable to be solid backups for Woll, the Leafs do not need to pursue a goalie.
Joseph Woll has proven this season (and even in last year's playoffs) that he is a perfectly capable starting goaltender in the NHL. He gives the Leafs a chance to win every night and gives the team confidence when in net.
Unless something drastic happens, the Leafs are likely fine between the pipes.
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Let's see what the Leafs decide to do come deadline time.