With the 2019 NHL trade deadline fast approaching, the Toronto Maple Leafs trade deadline expectations haven’t changed much since the start of the year. They still need another right-handed shot on the blueline and general manager Kyle Dubas is not likely to want to trade any significant roster pieces to get one.
Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Deadline Expectation
Right-Handed Defenceman
There aren’t a lot of options out there for the Maple Leafs. Rumours continue to swirl that Toronto is still interested in a defenceman from the Carolina Hurricanes. The cost of one of their right-handed defencemen starts at a scoring winger. The Maple Leafs have that in spades, but Dubas is likely not willing to part with one. If he does, Kasperi Kapanen would be the most realistic choice.
The Maple Leafs could get creative and find a new home for Jake Gardiner, who is probably gone this off-season as a UFA. Then they could flip the return for him to Carolina for one of their defencemen.
Jake Muzzin
Toronto added Jake Muzzin for their first-round pick and a couple prospects last month. Muzzin has improved Toronto’s defence, but he’s a left-handed shot. Mike Babcock tried flipping Morgan Rielly to the right side to pair up Rielly and Muzzin, but he’s since gone back to playing Ron Hainsey on Rielly’s right. That means Hainsey, who was on the bottom pairing for awhile, is back on the top pairing. While adding Muzzin helps the Maple Leafs overall, he’s not the solution to the problem of not having enough right-handed shots. Nikita Zaitsev is the only natural righty in the lineup. That’s not good.
Dubas may not be able to get a top-four righty, but it is the team’s top need heading into the trade deadline. He is on record saying he prefers to trade for a player with term, meaning signed for next year at least. If he does that, it with further complicate an already tight, but manageable, salary cap situation for next year.
Shed Salary?
If Dubas can find a way to shed some salary, it may open the door to more trade options. The problem with that is the player that will help the most with the Maple Leafs’ salary cap issues is Zaitsev. His cap hit is $4.5 million, but if the Maple Leafs trade him away, they’ll have zero right-handed shots on the blue line. That’s somewhat counterproductive. Unless the Maple Leafs can somehow find a way to add two new defencemen, expect Zaitsev to stick around. He is a candidate to be moved in the off-season to help with next year’s cap troubles though.
Patrick Marleau, who has a cap hit of $6.25 million, is another player that could be moved to add cap space. It’s even more unlikely he’ll move at the trade deadline this year than Zaitsev. Not only does he have a no-movement clause, but he’s also a veteran presence that can provide a lot of value in the playoffs despite his on-ice value is steadily declining.
Matthews’ Bonus
Toronto does have space under the cap to add without moving any players, however, that space could be used up by Auston Matthews‘ bonuses. Matthews will get an additional $2 million if he finishes the year in the top ten goal-scorers in the league. He’s not there right now, but that’s only because he missed 14 games. It’s a risky bet to assume he won’t make it, so the Maple Leafs will want to play it safe and assume that $2 million is already spoken for. If they risk it and use that space and Matthews hits his bonus, the cap hit for Matthews’ bonus will count towards next year’s cap space. That will further complicate next year’s situation.
Connor Brown
Connor Brown may be the only player the Maple Leafs could realistically trade this season to make room for an addition. His cap hit is only $2.1 million though. If the Leafs moved him and risked the Matthews bonus, they would have room to add a considerable addition to the team. It’s not out of the question the Maple Leafs will be active on trade deadline day. It’s just not going to be easy for Dubas.
Other Needs
Another common thought about the Maple Leafs is that they lack toughness. They’re missing the sort of player they had in abundance in previous years. Muzzin helps with toughness, but after watching Tom Wilson help the Washington Capitals to their first ever Stanley Cup Championship last season, there’s a lot of talk that come playoff time, the Maple Leafs will be exposed as a team lacking that grit required in playoff games.
There are a couple players available that fit the bill here. Wayne Simmonds and Micheal Ferland are the two players most talked about in rumours articles. Dubas will likely kick tires on both. Considering the amount of press coverage about the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes talking, Ferland seems a more likely option. Ferland’s contract would only take up $1.75 million in cap space, and he’s a UFA after this season. The Maple Leafs wouldn’t have trouble adding him to the roster, if the price is low enough for Dubas.
While it’s a long-shot, there could be a blockbuster in the making between Dubas and Carolina’s general manager Don Waddell. The two teams have been circling each other for months and both have what the other team needs. Major trades are difficult to pull off so it’s not likely, but it wouldn’t be that big of a surprise to see these two teams pull off something major on or before February 25th.
Fourth Line Centre
The Maple Leafs have run through a few fourth line centres the past few years. This year the position has been held by Frederik Gauthier for the better part of the year. While he’s been satisfactory in the role, another centre would help the team. It would give Babcock more options for his fourth line. Having depth at centre in the playoffs can be extremely valuable.
Enter an old Babcock favourite, Luke Glendening. His cap hit is low enough for the Maple Leafs to absorb at $1.8 million per season. He’s also signed for two years after this one. If the Maple Leafs add Glendening, it would probably spell the end for Gauthier as a Maple Leaf, at least as a centre.
Should Maple Leafs Fans Take February 25th Off Work?
It’s a risk. The Maple Leafs could be quiet at the trade deadline. They have a complicated cap situation, and they’re doing pretty well. The pressure to make a significant move is light thanks to the team being second in league standings. If the Maple Leafs don’t win a playoff round this year, that pressure will increase considerably whether they make moves this year or not.
On the other hand, they could be in the running to make a few interesting moves. It’s Dubas’ first trade deadline. If he’s as shrewd as people say, it could be a very interesting trade deadline for Maple Leafs fans indeed. If he’s as smart as people say, it could be a very quiet one too.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – JANUARY 10: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs scores his 300th NHL goal at 7:21 of the first period against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on January 10, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
