2 players the Maple Leafs can still trade for and one prospect they must sell at the trade deadline
While the Toronto Maple Leafs traded for Ilya Lyubushkin and now have very limited cap space, there are still a couple of players they can try to acquire.
Following their trade for Ilya Lyubushkin, the Toronto Maple Leafs are beyond strapped for cash, but that doesn’t mean they should be out of the running just yet to land a big trade if they make a few roster moves. Acquiring Lyubushkin should help the Maple Leafs if he keeps producing the same way he had with the Anaheim Ducks, but he’s still more of a third-pairing player and nothing else.
That said, trading for Lyubushkin alone won’t win the Maple Leafs a Stanley Cup unless Auston Matthews and company get to the point where they are putting up at least five goals a night on average, and that’s no easy feat, regardless of how well he’s been playing. So, instead of relying on top scorers to continue to cover up for so-so defensive play during a good game, Toronto needs to move some players around and create cap space to acquire at least one more player.
Toronto Maple Leafs must buy a little more at the trade deadline
Because of their cap situation, Toronto won’t pull off a blockbuster unless they make a plethora of cost-saving moves before March 8th. But there are still bargain pieces left on the market who won’t require general manager Brad Treliving to make too many transactions to clear enough space.
We’re talking about younger players who may not do much to help Toronto score goals as much as they would help them win their first Cup since 1967. Further, the two names listed as hypothetical trade pieces could even continue in their respective roles for the Maple Leafs in the coming years should such trades occur and Toronto retains them.
These players are also with an organization that either isn’t looking to contend or is roughly out of contention at the moment, so they may ask for Toronto to flip them over a quality prospect in return, and there is one name that jumps out. Before we reveal who that prospect is, let’s talk about one of the two players Toronto can still bring in at a sound price.
Player to buy: Brandon Duhaime
Defense-first forwards should be a must since the Maple Leafs continue to struggle in their own zone, as they are 19th in goals allowed with 194 as of March 4th. That’s not an ideal number for a team currently in a top three playoff spot, and they would have a tough time even getting the best of a few wild cards if such play continues.
Toronto’s xGA at 5-on-5 is a decent 121.1, or about four goals better than the NHL average, but their actual goals allowed in the same situation sit at 125, or two below average. Someone like Brandon Duhaime would change that at a price the Maple Leafs could find a way to work into the lineup.
A bottom-six, defense-first forward, Duhaime will separate opponents from the puck with big hits between two and three times per game. This has been the norm since he played his first 80 games in the 2021-22 season, and through 193 career contests, Duhaime has an eye-popping 502 hits, or 2.6 per.
Duhaime would also give Toronto’s penalty kill a hand, one that still sits about 1.5 percent lower than the NHL average. And his solid 91.3 and 91.1 respective on-ice save percentages at even strength and 5-on-5 make him a solid, cost-effective defensive forward whose limited ice time could turn into a huge help for Toronto.
Prospect to sell: Roni Hirvonen
The Maple Leafs prospects pool isn’t the most exciting, but it also doesn’t mean a team like the Minnesota Wild, or another should Toronto attempt to work with another team, wouldn’t be interested in at least someone who isn’t currently with the big club. Sure, there are prospects that the Maple Leafs must hang onto at all costs, but there are a few who have enough upside to eventually play in the NHL, but who Toronto would be happy to send elsewhere if it meant acquiring a player to help them bring home that elusive Stanley Cup.
The 59th-overall pick in 2020, Roni Hirvonen just turned 22 and made the trip to North America following a few solid seasons in Finland. Unfortunately for Hirvonen, he suffered an eye injury early in his tenure with the Marlies, but he has since returned, and his overall experience playing at the professional level in Finland could be huge for the young player’s overall development.
He’s not going to win many races from a skating standpoint, but he’s a relentless forward whose high-motor should impress several front offices looking to add a smaller but feisty player to their prospects pool. Hirvonen would need at least another season in the AHL to keep adapting to the North American style, but once he’s there, someone will have a solid bottom-six forward.
Toronto could keep him around, but with this team being in win-now mode, it’s best to sell him in a potential trade to an organization that won’t contend this season.
Player to buy: Connor Dewar
Even if Brandon Duhaime went elsewhere, the Maple Leafs would still be in luck if they were interested in bringing in a cost-effective consolation. Connor Dewar, another member of the Minnesota Wild’s lower lines, is another name to be aware of, and he would come at an even cheaper price than Duhaime.
Dewar isn’t as physical as Duhaime, but he’s still finishing at least one and often two checks per game while simultaneously doing all he can to wreak havoc when his team is playing defense. Also, like Duhaime, Dewar can offer a slew of minutes on the penalty kill, and his overall on-ice save percentage at even strength and 5-on-5 practically mirrors his teammate’s.
Regardless of whether the Maple Leafs decide to make one more trade at the deadline, it is something we will find out by Friday. And just because we listed a pair of more cost-effective pieces here, it doesn’t mean the team won’t get ambitious and seek to acquire more expensive, prominent names.
Either Brandon Duhaime or Connor Dewar (or both, if Toronto can make the deal happen) would take away some of those would-be shots on net with their aggressive play, and it would result in the Maple Leafs allowing fewer goals on average. We will see if Brad Treliving continues to try and address the problem in the next few days.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference and Elite Prospects as of March 4th)