The idea of the Toronto Maple Leafs acquiring Simon Edvinsson is looking pretty good now that the Chris Tanev injury has put the team´s blue line in question.
The Leafs are one of the teams that have been linked to the Detroit Red Wings blueliner. And Toronto is likely among the most attractive destinations for the 23-year-old.
But beyond the attractiveness of Toronto and the evident usefulness that Edvinsson would provide the Maple Leafs' defense corps, there is now a natural need for a defensive defenseman.
Tanev hitting the shelf has taken the conversation about Edvinsson landing in Toronto from a nice-to-have to a must-have. After all, where else are the Maple Leafs going to find a young, shutdown blueliner currently available on the market? While there may be other options out there, none really fit the bill for Toronto.
That’s why making a move for Edvinsson now makes a ton of sense for Toronto. However, there are a couple of issues to keep in mind.
Chris Tanev injury remains uncertain
The Maple Leafs aren’t going to disclose any solid information on the Chris Tanev injury anytime soon. So, we’re working from an assumption here. But given how seemingly innocuous the play in Colorado looked last Saturday night, it’s fair to say that Tanev is in trouble.
So, if we assume that he’s not going to be coming back soon, the Maple Leafs would do well to seriously look into another blueliner this season. The Leafs will be asking Darren Raddysh to step into a role he’s not equipped for. Plus, the idea of Troy Stecher and Nick Blankenburg moving into a shutdown role just doesn’t make sense.
That’s why, again, assuming that Tanev is out long-term, the Leafs targeting Simon Edvinsson now makes perfect sense.
Maple Leafs can land Simon Edvinsson without sacrificing current roster pieces
The biggest difference between acquiring Simon Edvinsson and Dylan Larkin is that the Red Wings are far more amenable to taking a futures-based package. The chatter posits that Detroit is willing to take prospects and picks for Edvinsson, as opposed to Larkin, who the Red Wings wanted as a win-now pieces.
The Maple Leafs do have some pieces to work with. They have Colorado’s first-round pick, plus a couple of other prospects like Ben Danford. Assuming the Red Wings would be willing to take a package based on that first-rounder and Danford, the conversation might move forward.
The only obstacle would be to clear up enough cap space to fit Edvinsson’s cap hit. Perhaps the Leafs and the Swedish blueliner can work out a short-term bridge deal just to buy enough time to wait for the cap to go out, and then pay Edvinsson.
Let’s see what happens. The Leafs have the room to be creative, as, in all fairness, they’re not really desperate to land Edvinsson, even if the situation warrants it.
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