As the Toronto Maple Leafs sit dead last in the Atlantic Division, seemingly without their best defenceman for the rest of the year, it might be time for them to be sellers at this year’s trade deadline.
Toronto has played much, much better recently. They look a lot more like the team they were last year than the team they were to begin this season, playing tighter defence and getting great goaltending. Auston Matthews is #back, and his goal scoring has helped the Leafs get a point in each of their last six games.
But the blueline is still a bit of a disaster, and with basically every team in the league still in the playoff hunt, it’s going to be a seller’s market at the deadline. Let’s take a look at some of the Leafs options, and what could end up happening.
Buy or sell?
Brad Treliving has said that if he makes moves, they will be to upgrade the roster, not deplete it. This means he expects the Leafs to once again be buyers, not sellers.
But the Leafs have almost no valuable assets to trade, and if they do end up trading Ben Danford or Dennis Hildeby, they will be without any sort of impact prospect or first-round pick for the next two years. The cupboards will quite literally be empty.
And while the Leafs position in the standings will determine their course of action, it may be smarter to sell even if they are still competitive. At this point, five points separate the last wild card spot and the basement of the Eastern Conference. Everyone is still “in it,” but the best front offices will base their decisions on how their team is playing, not where they are in the standings.
Is it worth it to spend more assets to improve the already depleted roster just to get bounced in the first round? I think the Leafs should be sellers unless they go on an absolute heater and cement themselves in a playoff spot.
Who to sell?
And if the Leafs do decide to sell, they have players that could fetch them quite a bit in return.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Oliver Ekman-Larsson could get Toronto a first-round pick plus a B-level prospect, no problem. He’s having an outstanding season, just got named to Team Sweden, and is on a super reasonable deal. He can be a solid middle pair or elite bottom pair LD on any contender, and he also won a Cup just two seasons ago.
The OEL return would be a huge get for the Leafs, who are obviously starving for assets. He’d net the best package of any of the Leafs that would realistically be sold. Seeing him leave would be tough, but getting a first-rounder and a decent prospect would help the Leafs a ton.
Bobby McMann
On the forwards side of things, Bobby McMann is the clear sell. He’s a pending UFA due for a big raise (he might end up making $4M next season) who’s on pace to score 25 goals.
If the market is anything like last year’s, McMann might be able to fetch the Leafs another first-round pick. He’s fast, big, can score goals, and has added a bit of nastiness to his game this year. Even though he disappeared in the playoffs last year, he feels like a guy who could explode during a postseason run.
Because he’s a rental, the return won’t be quite as high for McMann, but at worst, you’re getting a second-round pick for someone who probably won’t be on the team next year. That’s a win, and something Toronto should absolutely do.
Do you sell one of the goalies?
The Leafs goalie situation is very weird.
Their highest-paid netminder starting next season is Anthony Stolarz. He’s out with an unknown injury and seems like he’ll be injury-prone for the rest of his career.
Their starter is Joseph Woll, who is also weirdly injury-prone, disappearing in important games with minor injuries.
Then there’s Dennis Hildeby, a prospect who has proven without a doubt he’s ready for the NHL.
So what do the Leafs do with three goalies? Well, if Stolarz is still hurt by the time the deadline rolls around, they probably do nothing. They aren’t gonna sell Woll or Hildeby when they are both playing, unless someone gives you an offer you can’t refuse.
But if Stolarz is back, I’d do anything to sell him before his extension starts next year. Even if you have to attach a late-round pick to sweeten the deal, it feels like Stolarz won’t be fully healthy ever again. When he plays, he can be elite, but it’s impossible to have faith in him at this point.
We’ll see what happens, and he’ll probably still be hurt at the deadline anyway, but getting someone to take Stolarz would be amazing.
