Insider Links Maple Leafs to Veteran Forwards With Uncertain Futures
Photo credit: Hockey Patrol
According to NHL Insider Chris Johnston, the Toronto Maple Leafs might be able to bring in some veteran help after news that two players are potentially on the move.
All the talk this past offseason seemed to center around whether or not the Toronto Maple Leafs would be bringing in another piece to add to their top-six in order to give some help to their forwards after losing Mitch Marner this summer.
Linked to a bevy of names all throughout the summer, nothing has materialized as of yet but there's still lots of time for a deal to be made. While the team doesn't have a ton of great assets they do have some interesting pieces that with some creativity; could be enticing enough.
Toronto Could Find A Deal For Zacha or Horvat: Insider Reports
According to NHL Insider Chris Johnston, if the team puts a good enough package together, they may be able to get their hands on one of two very solid offensive pieces.
On The Leaf Report's recent episode, Johnston explained that there are two veterans who have been talked about as potential trade candidates that could make life a little easier for teams including the Maple Leafs:
Maybe some veteran forwards become available whether it's Pavel Zacha in Boston or Bo Horvat with the Islanders; these are players that could satisfy the needs in places like Montreal, Vancouver, maybe even Toronto.
Toronto certainly could use the extra help and with questions about their health already, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Why Toronto Needs To Act Quickly To Address Top-Six Issues
Needing that safety is going to be crucial for the Maple Leafs, and while they certainly have solid enough pieces like Max Domi and Matias Maccelli to play on the top line; it could use a little more star power.
Same with the second line, as Bobby McMann is a very solid option but is known to be very streaky and for a duo like William Nylander and John Tavares, it's important they have consistent production.
Zacha, 28, would certainly add a fantastic mix of playmaking, scoring, defense and physicality. The former 6th overall pick had 47 points in 82 games last year (14 goals, 33 assists) but does have 342 points in 628 games (125 goals, 217 assists).
He makes $4.75-million for this season and the next, and while it's a bit of an expensive investment, the Leafs could get a bit of salary retention thrown in too.
Horvat, 30, was the 9th overall pick in 2013 and has put in a very solid career thus far. Last year he put up 57 points in 81 games (28 goals, 29 assists) and has consistently put up 20-30 goals since coming into the league.
He's much, much pricier however making $8.5-million for the next five years, so if the Maple Leafs want to invest that much money and time into a player who is getting older; that's a high risk and high reward scenario.
But either way you slice it, either player would instantly improve Toronto's top-six, giving them a ton of scoring, playmaking, defense and versatility and striving to create a lot more balance.
That's the name of the game this season for the Maple Leafs, who could be on the verge of adding some serious firepower.
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