Maple Leafs are facing a franchise-defining dilemma this season
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
According to The Real Kyper and Bourne Show, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a franchise-changing decision to make: Do they buy or stand pat heading into the deadline?
There's been a lot of discussion around the league surrounding whether or not the Toronto Maple Leafs are a) going to make a move and b) who they would actually trade for if they go through with a deal.
They have been linked to top-four defensemen, top-six forwards, role players and stars. It seems like everyone is attached to the Maple Leafs but with a limited asset pool and a lineup that's starting to really come together; they have a tough choice to make.
Toronto's biggest decision will be whether or not to buy
It's a decision they can't take lightly, and it was the topic of discussion on The Real Kyper and Bourne Show on Thursday where Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne discussed potential options for the Maple Leafs.
Kypreos was honest in his comments, and explained that while the Maple Leafs want to improve, their lack of assets hurt them in the long run and they need to decide whether to go buy or not:
It's not an even playing field right now. They have next to no tradable assets to improve meanwhile 13 other teams can ask 'Do you want a first, a second, what do you want?'
The issue isn't the teams petering out in the first round either, this is about making it there in the first place which means I'm out.
The issue isn't the teams petering out in the first round either, this is about making it there in the first place which means I'm out.
Meanwhile Bourne retorted and explained that while the team may not have assets, anything they do have should be used if they decide to buy; something they have to come to terms with soon according to the analyst:
I think my article danced around the fact that the team needs to decide what they are doing soon. It's what, January 8th? I say January 20th you need to figure out where you're going one way or the other because if you're going to go, you need to go now.
Maple Leafs decision hinges on their next two weeks
Bourne explained that teams need to essentially sort out if they think they have a legitimate playoff shot or not, and if they're on the fringe then maybe going for broke won't be the best solution:
How many of these teams are good enough to be legitimate buyers?» There aren't many.
Even if you can squint and get yourself as high as a dozen, that still leaves 20 teams that may want to sell, and if they've each got three contracts they'd like to flip for assets, suddenly there's 60 guys available for the 12 teams to pick from.
Even if it's a much smaller number, the math isn't in the sellers' favour. Good luck getting a half-decent return on anyone in a flooded market.
Even if you can squint and get yourself as high as a dozen, that still leaves 20 teams that may want to sell, and if they've each got three contracts they'd like to flip for assets, suddenly there's 60 guys available for the 12 teams to pick from.
Even if it's a much smaller number, the math isn't in the sellers' favour. Good luck getting a half-decent return on anyone in a flooded market.
We'll get a better idea of things come January 20th; the date Bourne says Toronto needs to figure it out.
That's seven games in between now and then. They already started off well with a 2-1 OT win over Philadelphia on Thursday, and heading up against some seriously tough completion in Vegas and Colorado; they need to win the games vs. weaker opponents like Vancouver, Utah, and Winnipeg.
If the Maple Leafs can come away with at least five wins out of those seven, it would give them 10 of 14 points and potentially put them into a top-three or top-four spot in the Atlantic.
If the players we expect to be traded continue to impress, and the Maple Leafs lineup is gelling, then it might be best for them to actually stand pat at the deadline while others spend heavily on a hope and a prayer.
It would also save Toronto from dangling their last little bit of the future in Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, and maybe even hold onto their 2028 first-round pick.
But this is Toronto we're talking about, and we could very well see a massive splash come March; minimal asset pool or not.
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