Potential Leaf Trade Targets

 

Instead of writing about last night’s Leaf win over the Islanders, their 3rd win in their last four games I decided with all of the trade speculation surrounding the Maple Leafs I decided to give my thoughts some of the names that our Leafs have been linked too.

Now before I start I understand many Leaf fans want to add Jacob Chychrun from Arizona but in my opinion fans want him because he happens to be the guy with the most shine on his name. Would adding him boost Toronto’s blue line? Of course it would but Arizona would be asking for assets that if the Leafs gave in return for a trade, it would hurt the team in the long term. Just remember there was a time when fans wanted Oliver Ekman-Larsson who ended up going to Vancouver and this season he has 19 points in 45 games played with a -18 rating. Here’s another fun fact about Ekman-Larsson, he isn’t a free agent untill the 27-28 season.

So, lets take our attention off Chychrun and focus on some more reasonable potential trade targets.

Lets look at Defense first,

Vladislav Gavrikov:

 A member of the Columbus Blue Jackets he’s 27 who shoots left and carries a price tag of $2,800,000 this season before need a new deal. This season, Gavrikov has 10 points and three goals. He also has 80 blocks and 49 hits so he brings a little physicality to his game but isn’t afraid to sacrifice his body to help his team find success. The concern for Leaf fans should be the asking price that Columbus would want from Toronto obviously, but you have to look at the package of assets the Leafs would be willing to trade away. Columbus is currently sitting in last place of the NHL so of course they are in the running for Connor Bedard. Columbus is going to be looking for draft picks and prospects and Elliott Friedman who mentioned that Toronto has shown interest in Gavrikov also mentioned that Toronto isn’t willing to part with their first round pick or Matthew Knies. Although that may be Kyle’s intention will all know that can change. With that being said I can’t see Gavrikov ending up in Toronto simply because Dubas wouldn’t part with a package of Knies and a first round pick (if that is in fact the price) simply because Gavrikov is a free agent this summer and could easily walk back to Columbus and Toronto would be with out a very talented prospect.

Jake McCabe:

Another name that has been mentioned to be on the Leafs radar is Chicago’s Jake McCabe. Originally a draft pick of Buffalo Sabres he has spent this season and last in Chicago. This season he has registered two goals with eleven assists for thirteen points. The six-foot defender has 93 blocks and 94 hits, so like Gavrikov he likes to throw his weight around. Jake McCabe carries a price tag of 4 million dollars, and he doesn’t enter free agency until the 25-26 season. So he’s a player with term which is important for a General Manager when it comes to trading players. Now, I know in the section above about Gavrikov I mentioned that Toronto wasn’t willing to trade away their first round selection but just before I started working on this article Frank Seravalli was on Toronto radio and said that Chicago’s asking price is a 2nd round selection but if 50% of McCabe’s salary was retained Chicago is asking for a 1st round draft pick. Personally I think Toronto would be willing to move their first round pick simply for the cap relief. If you can have a player like McCabe in your lineup for just two million dollars for the next two and a half seasons why wouldn’t you do it? So, now we have to look at the teams defensive depth chart and try and figure out which blue liner Toronto would need to move out.

 

I know Leaf fans are going to read this and say “trade Rielly” well, I hate to break it to you but that isn’t happening because he’s under contract until the 29-30 season and with TJ Brodie returning to the Leafs in the coming days he and Morgan Reilly will return as the Leafs top pair and Leaf fans won’t like this but Morgan Rielly and TJ Brodie are Toronto’s two best defensemen and Rielly may not have any goals so far this season but his has 21 assists in 33 appearances. So, as I said Rielly, Brodie will once again be the top pairing.

 Then we look at Sandin and Liljegren and I think there is zero chance of either of those two being shipped out. Liljegren has managed eleven points season but has 55 blocks and 73 hits but is being paid 1.4 million dollars. Timothy Liljegren has been very reliable in his end of the rink and for his price I think it would be very hard for Toronto to walk away from. Rasmus Sandin carries the same 1.4 million dollar price tag and has 15 points this season. Sandin and Liljegren have been a solid pairing for Toronto and we have seen the chemistry between those two has brought a nice boost to their play. So, that’s the second Leaf pairing that likely won’t be broken up which brings us to the last pair for the Leafs.

 

Mark Giordano and Justin Holl, Giordano is on a league minimum contract and has been a fantastic addition for the Leafs. This season he has collected 17 points but one huge factor that comes with Giordano is his versatility in the lineup. We saw the Leafs blue line battling injury and Giordano would slide up and down the pairings and find success. We also saw him paired with the likes of Connor Timmins and Jordie Benn and once again played very well but also made his partner’s perform positively. That leaves Justin Holl, for the last few seasons we have heard many teams were interested in the services of Justin Holl but the right deal just seemingly wouldn’t come along. Justin has nine points this season and comes with a price tag of two million dollars. For me, I think Holl is the one to be sent out if you can get McCabe at half price you’re swapping McCabe for Holl and he could slide in next to Giordano.

Next lets look at some trade possibilities at the forward position and personally I think this is the area that Kyle Dubas needs to focus on the most. When we look at the Leafs playoff runs with this core group and this management in series closing games Toronto had so many issues scoring goals that would put the game out of reach for their opponent.

This may not be a surprise to anyone but Alex Kerfoot for me would be the guy that gets moved out in a trade. Kerfoot carries a 3.5-million-dollar price tag. Kerfoot has a total of 21 points this season. Recently Toronto has called up Bobby McMann from the Marlies, he’s appeared in just six games and is still looking for his first point.

McMann however, has brought some speed into the teams lineup but his work on the forecheck has helped his line maintain possession against their opponent. His positive play has been noticed by Sheldon Keefe because today at practice we saw Kerfoot get bumped down to the fourth line and there’s no chance Dubas is going to keep a player at Alex’s price if he’s going to get 4th line minutes.

 

Travis Konecny:

Hearing his name linked to the Leafs honestly surprised me because in my opinion it would make no sense for the Flyers to move this guy. Obviously Philadelphia has struggled all season and they will be in the running for Connor Bedard. Konecny so far this season has 49 points in 42 games this season. He’s a forward who doesn’t become an unrestricted free agent until the 25-26 season. The only feasible way a trade would work is if the Flyers retained 50% of Travis’s 5.5-million-dollar salary meaning Toronto would only have to pay 2.75 million in salary. If that was agreed upon and Konecky became a Leaf then he could slide into the left wing spot on the second line with Tavares and Marner. This would move Jarnkrok down to the 3rd line with Kampf and Engvall. All I can say is if Kyle Dubas was able to move Kerfoot for Konecny I would be very happy because his production would only climb playing with the talent this Leafs team has.

Timo Meier:

Toronto is one of many teams interested in trading for this Sharks forward. This season he is pretty much a point a game player with 47 points in 48 appearances. One thing fans like about Meier’s game is he throws his weight around having registered 106 hits. Timo has a 6 million dollar salary so again I think Toronto would need salary retained. Meier would likely slide onto the second or third line and would be a great addition for the Leafs just like Konecny but theirs is one potential road block. TSN’s Chris Johnston said the Leafs have interest in trading for Meier but he’s a restricted free agent so teams are willing to trade for him if they can agree with Meier’s camp on a contract extension because Timo carries a qualifying offer worth 10 million dollars. As much as Leaf fans would want this trade to happen I don’t think this trade happens simply because there are other teams like the New Jersey Devils who could offer a more valuable package of assets in return to the San Jose Sharks.

 

Of course this is all speculation but that’s the fun of being a hockey fan, the trade deadline is approximately five weeks away but one things for sure March 3rd and the days leading up to it are going to be very interesting.

Thanks as always for reading.