Main Photo: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
The window for the Toronto Maple Leafs to win a Stanley Cup is open, but maybe not for long. With Auston Matthews one year away from free agency, a big piece of the puzzle could be playing elsewhere soon. The Maple Leafs should target any number of players before next month’s NHL trade deadline.
With the trade deadline approaching, the pressure on general manager Kyle Dubas is enormous. He needs to send this group of players a message that the organization is willing to do whatever it takes to help them win.
While Timo Meier and Jakob Chychrun are at the top of everyone’s wish list, there are a number of other players available the Maple Leafs could use in the playoffs.
Here are some pending unrestricted free agents the Maple Leafs should target before the March 3 trade deadline.
Who The Maple Leafs Should Target At The Trade Deadline
Jonathan Toews
You can talk about second line wingers and depth defencemen, but the Leafs need someone who has been there, done that. Chicago Blackhawks veteran Jonathan Toews fits the bill.
Not only has he won three Stanley Cups, but he was the captain of those teams. The 34-year-old also won the Conn Smythe Trophy with their first title in 2010.
Yes that was 13 years ago, but he would not play as prominent a role on the ice. He could capably fill the third line centre position.
More importantly, his playoff experience and success would pay huge dividends. His $10.5 million cap hit would mean some existing contracts would have to be dealt to make the money work.
Tyler Bertuzzi
Tyler Bertuzzi could be the answer as the second line left winger with John Tavares and William Nylander. Much like the first line left winger Michael Bunting, the Sudbury, Ontario native is an agitator with some offensive skill. He has struggled this season, but scored 30 goals last year.
The 27-year-old is in his fifth full season with the Detroit Red Wings and has yet to make the playoffs. Some may say he wouldn’t know what to expect in the post-season, but his hunger for playoff success would outweigh that concern. He doesn’t play scared and enjoys playoff-style hockey.
Being from Ontario and playing junior with the OHL’s Guelph Storm, he’s familiar with the market. He would like nothing better than to help his local team growing up win a Stanley Cup.
The $4.75 million cap hit would likely mean a prospect heading to Detroit to complete the deal.
Max Domi
If the price for Bertuzzi is too steep, Max Domi is a good second option as a trade deadline target. The Chicago Blackhawks winger is familiar with Maple Leafs fans, who cheered on his father, Tie Domi at old Maple Leaf Gardens.
Domi was drafted 12th overall by the Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes in 2013 but never really played with the talent the Maple Leafs possess. He has played in Arizona, Columbus, Montreal and Chicago when those franchises lacked talent and struggled to make the playoffs.
Playing with Tavares and Nylander would put a jump in his step and an opportunity to display the offensive skills. With his father watching every night, he would not want to disappoint.
His $3 million cap hit is manageable with just six weeks left on the schedule after the trade deadline.
Carson Soucy
Carson Soucy is a solid top-6 defenceman who could slide into a regular rotation on the bottom end of the Leafs blue line corps.
Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, Justin Holl and Mark Giordano provide a trusted top four, while Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren are going into uncharted waters in the playoffs. Soucy has playoff experience with the Minnesota Wild, which would provide stability for the younger players.
The native of Viking, Alberta (home of the famous Sutter family) has been a plus player throughout his career with the Wild and Seattle Kraken. Also, he would be an upgrade on Conor Timmins and Jordie Benn on the depth chart.
At 28, he presents an opportunity for the Maple Leafs to re-sign him over the summer. His $2.75 million cap hit should not be an issue.
Luke Schenn
If Soucy is not an option before the deadline, veteran Luke Schenn of the Vancouver Canucks is a logical trade deadline target at little cost. The 33-year-old was drafted fifth overall by the Maple Leafs in 2008 and played his first four NHL seasons in Toronto. Imagine coming back to win a Stanley Cup with the team that drafted you 15 years earlier?
Schenn won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Tampa Bay Lightning and provides that winning pedigree the team needs. The fact the Lightning are the Leafs’ likely first opponent make his acquisition that much more enticing.
The Saskatoon native played a supporting on those teams and could form a platoon system with fellow veteran Giordano in what hopes to be a long, grueling playoff run. He also adds a right-shot and some toughness that has been missing since the loss of Jake Muzzin due to injury.
This season, he has been a plus player on a struggling Vancouver Canucks team. He is great value with a cap hit of just $875,000
Gustav Nyquist
Gustav Nyquist is one season removed from a 53-pont season. He could add some scoring to the bottom six group of forwards.
The 33-year-old veteran is attractive for another reason. He is currently out with a shoulder injury. The Columbus Blue Jackets placed him on Long Term Injured Reserve until the end of the season. That means his cap hit is zero; essentially a free player.
The asking price should be minimal, which is good news for a team that is always near the salary cap limit.
Trade deadline deals don’t guarantee success in the playoffs. As former general manager Brian Burke says, many teams make trades at the deadline every year, but only one team wins the Stanley Cup. However, the Maple Leafs should possess a sense of urgency this season and these trade deadline targets should be on their radar.
The reality is that teams usually overpay for the asset they feel will make a difference. For the Maple Leafs, prospects and draft picks must be on the table. You can’t win the jackpot if you don’t go all in. These relatively inexpensive players could help put the team over the top.
