3 under-the-radar trades that will shake up the Maple Leafs at the deadline

Anthony Duclair would rediscover his scoring potential in Toronto

One major advantage of acquiring Anthony Duclair is that the San Jose Sharks would likely retain a portion of his salary, making life easier for Toronto should they opt to add one more forward to their lineup. The 2023-24 season has predictably not been kind to Duclair as he’s taking up space on what is a lowly Sharks team looking to move their seasoned veterans. 

Amidst the chaos, he still has 11 goals in 50 games for one of the NHL’s worst teams, along with a solid 13.8 shooting percentage. These factors alone could entice one of the NHL’s most all-out offensive-minded teams to add another piece and continue to dare opponents to outscore them. Duclair, who scored an outstanding 31 goals in 2021-22, would give that edge to Toronto. 

Duclair is also an under-the-radar forward who can simultaneously carry a defensive mindset, evidenced by his 23 takeaways and ability to help the Sharks attain a surprisingly decent on-ice save percentage of 90.7 at even strength and 91.6 at 5-on-5 if he’s in the game. 

While Duclair is a forward who will add yet another potential scoring asset to Toronto, he still holds a lot of value on defense. There would be a lot for fans to like if the Maple Leafs brought in one of the NHL’s more successful journeymen. 

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 20th)