The Toronto Maple Leafs could bring in a goaltender near the 2024 trade deadline, but given some solid play in the net recently, perhaps they go in a different direction. Toronto, if you haven’t been keeping up lately, has been playing like one of the best teams in the NHL since February 13th, and if they keep this up, maybe a blockbuster trade should be in the works to make their biggest push yet for a Stanley Cup.
One potential trade candidate who comes to mind is Colton Parayko, who recently found himself on the losing end against the Maple Leafs twice in a seven-day span. Overall, Parayko’s St. Louis Blues team is struggling to stick around in the wild card race, meaning a player of his caliber could be on the way out should the Blues decide to sell.
The Maple Leafs should strongly consider Parayko by the deadline
While there are a few suitors for Parayko, the Maple Leafs stick out more than most teams. For one, they would get a player who would be part of this perennial playoff contender for the rest of the decade, as Parayko is in the second year of a new contract.
For another, his contract is frontloaded, so Toronto would only owe him his peak salary of $8 million a year over the next two seasons. While the Maple Leafs would have to give up a lot to make this trade happen, the long-term benefits of an outstanding blueliner for a team making annual postseason trips speak volumes.
Other obstacles include Parayko’s full no-trade clause, but if he had a chance to play for a strong Maple Leafs team in lieu of a Blues team that may be going nowhere for a while, there is a good chance he tosses it aside for such a move to happen.
Clearly, it would be an ultra-bold, ultra-expensive move on Toronto’s part, especially early. But let’s talk about three reasons why the Leafs should do whatever it takes to bring Parayko to Ontario.