There might just be a way for the Toronto Maple Leafs to seriously begin fixing their blueline issues this summer. It would involve a bit of a sacrifice. But as they say, “It takes money to make money”.
And so, the Leafs could make money by trading Matthew Knies to the Carolina Hurricanes for defenseman Alexander Nikishin.
The Hurricanes are stuck in limbo with Nikishin. He’s currently an RFA and looking to get paid. Meanwhile, the Canes want to keep a tight lid on costs and would like to avoid Nikishin’s $8 million asking price.
That’s why there have been rumors all summer about the Hurricanes listening to offers on Nikishin. In fact, the Leafs were briefly linked at one point to Nikishin earlier this summer. According to the talk, the conversation didn’t go very far.
But what if both teams circled back to the situation? Could things have changed from June to now?
Of course, the idea of trading Knies for Nikishin might seem just a tad out there. Maple Leafs fans don’t want to see a 23-year-old power forward with 30-goal potential head out the door. But if that brings back a 24-year-old blueliner with legit top-pairing potential, is that a deal at least worth discussing?
Maple Leafs Need Youth on the Blue Line
Any way you slice it, the Maple Leafs need to get younger on the blue line. And the sooner that happens, the better. Yes, Emil Andrae was a good move. But he’s not going to be the guy that transforms Toronto’s D-corps into a Stanley Cup-caliber one.
Plus, the Leafs don’t have anyone coming up through the system who could profile as a true top-pairing guy. That’s why there’s a clear need to go out there and target someone younger who could anchor the Leafs D.
Short of landing 27-year-old Cale Makar, Nikishin would actually be a good move. Nikishin is 6’3”, 218 pounds, and can play both sides. He chipped in 11 goals and 33 points in his first full season. The knock on Nikishin is that his offense evaporated during the playoffs. But that shouldn’t be shocking after seeing how the Hurricanes played during the postseason.
Nikishin won’t necessarily be Toronto’s savior
Anointing Nikishin as the Maple Leafs blueline savior may be stretching things a bit. Yes, Nikishin would certainly fix much of what’s wrong with Toronto’s blue line. But it won’t be the only solution. At some point, the Leafs will need to target other defensemen, either by developing prospects or finding younger players like Nikishin.
Either way, the Leafs will have to look for outside help to shore up the defense. Acquiring Nikishin may not be something imminent, but it’s the type of move the Maple Leafs have to absolutely look into if they want to make this team a true contender moving forward.
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