It is time to give credit where credit is due and Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving deserves some applause for the additions he's made to the club through his first year and a half in the organization.
At best, Treliving has been an OK GM thus far, but after having almost all of his moves in his first year blow up in his face, he's hit on a much higher percentage of his moves this year. Despite some great moves that includes bringing in Craig Berube to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs, along with two impressive free agent signings in Anthony Stolarz and Chris Tanev there is still work to do to make the club even better heading into the 2025 NHL playoffs.
There is dead weight that carry cap hits on the team that can be better spent on improving the top four defense or potentially bringing in a top three center on the team. Friday afternoon, New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury made a massive upgrade on his team by unloading Jacob Trouba and the final two years of his $8 million contract on the Anaheim Ducks and he was even able to pick up assets in return.
The New York Rangers dumped Trouba and acquired not just a 25-year old former first round pick, but also a fourth round pick in the upcoming entry draft. The former first round pick is Urho Vaakanainen and is a project at best, but he can be sent to the minors without any of his cap hit going against the salary cap and how can you ever complain about acquiring bullets for the trade deadline in the way of extra draft picks.
The Toronto Maple Leafs need to offload some of their costly players
How does this trade effect the Toronto Maple Leafs? Well it doesn't directly, other than making the Rangers better, but at the same time it shows that the team can move on from some below replacement level players without paying assets to do so.
The Maple Leafs are stuck with a $2.4 million fourth line center who has just three points in 18 games this season in David Kämpf. The Czech born center can be an effective shutdown center, but for the salary cap and lack of offence he is eating up too much space.
They are also paying $1.3 million to arguably the worst player in the league in Ryan Reaves, who brings absolutely zero attributes to a game. His line mates are stuck playing shorthanded when he is on the ice with him as he can't stay up with the play and the only time he can do anything positive is when a player skates in his general direction and he can get in their way.
What this is leading towards is if the New York Rangers can move an $8 million contract on a below level NHL player, you have to think it should be much easier for the Maple Leafs to free up the cap space from Reaves and Kämpf.
Your move Mr. Treliving.