As the Toronto Maple Leafs look to make their bold move at the trade deadline to bolster their lineup, they have begun to take action by acquiring defenseman Joel Edmundson from the Washington Capitals for a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
With that transaction under the belt, what else can happen between now and the cut-off point at 3 pm EST on Friday for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Will the Leafs be able to land a true difference maker, an additional insurance depth option or two, or maybe just something that will turn out to be a piece of negligible significance?
Here, we will take a brief look at the possible remaining scenarios that could occur for our beloved boys in blue.
Looking at the Remaining Possibilities for the Toronto Maple Leafs Following the Joel Edmundson Acquisition
The Leafs Make No More Moves
For a contending team that is serious in making a deep run in the playoffs, making just a single move at the deadline when other teams are actively engaged in multiple moves would send the wrong message to both the players and the fanbase, showing that the organization doesn’t appear to want to dedicate themselves to winning as much as their competitors.
So to get the team mentally in the right mindset going forward, they shouldn’t just stop at Edmundson, as at least one more move needs to be made. Something that is convincing enough that would significantly make the Leafs a team others would want to avoid meeting in the playoffs.
The Leafs Make Another Minor Move or Two
This has become more the norm for the Leafs in recent years when it came down to the final few days of the deadline. They don’t go all-in and acquire a huge superstar or difference maker, but rather put their hopes on acquisitions that adequately address specific needs. Like two years ago, when they needed some help on defense, veteran Mark Giordano was recruited. Or a few years ago, the likes of Tomas Plekanec or Brian Boyle were acquired to add experience and leadership going into the playoffs for the young inspiring team at the time.
With the Leafs needing some defensive help this time around, they have already made their first move in acquiring Edmundson to help address their back end. So look for the Leafs to perhaps add another defenseman for insurance depth or turn their focus to another team need, such as goaltending depth or a gritty scoring forward.
The Leafs Make a Major/Blockbuster Move
For those expecting a big splash like last year where the Leafs practically emptied their draft capital to get big time players in Ryan O’Reilly, Noel Acciari, Luke Schenn, Jake McCabe and company to address multiple needs significantly at the same time, it will not likely happen this time around, as much as we really want it to.
First of all, they don’t have much usable draft picks left at their disposal, especially after giving up another two more in the trade for Edmundson. That is of course unless they really want to go all-in and jeopardize their entire drafting for the next two years.
Added to the fact that the Leafs are tight to the salary cap, any more big moves will need massive salary retention or even the trading away of some current players from their active roster to get the deal done. Don’t forget the team has been on a roll, so any moves that can directly disrupt the chemistry going on is certainly a no-no for any playoff-inspiring team.
As a result, getting a prime number one goalie like Juuse Saros or anything mind-blowing likely won’t happen, but if it does, then this season would definitely become an all-or-nothing year for the organization and its foreseeable future.
Nevertheless, hopefully the Leafs and GM Brad Treliving have a surprise or two remaining up their sleeves to keep us on the edge of our seats, and make it that much more enjoyable watching them play down the stretch as a result.