Maple Leafs Could Flip Young Talent for $12M Forward in Bold Trade Idea
Photo credit: Terrence Lee-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs could end up bringing in Nino Niederreiter but it would involve trading Bobby McMann or Nicholas Robertson according to The Leafs Nation.
The question of whether or not the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to add a forward to their ranks as the final piece of the puzzle is one that has followed them since the beginning of the offseason.
Losing Mitch Marner certainly hurts the offense though they may be better off without him in the long-term. They have been linked to some big names although they may lack the true assets to get a blockbuster done.
Niederreiter Named In Article As Perfect Leafs Target
But according to an article from The Leafs Nation, they don't need to break the bank in order to bring that offensive presence aboard, and the team should try and target Winnipeg's Nino Niederreiter.
There's no doubt that he would add both size and scoring to a team who needs help in their top-six, and as the article states, wouldn't cost a fortune:
The 6-foot-2 winger had a solid playoffs for the Jets, and plays a heavy game, landing 151 hits last season, something Berube would love to add more of.
At $4 million for just two more years, it wouldn't be a massive gamble for Treliving to add Niederreiter's contract to the books.
He doesn't have any trade protection, which makes things easier, it's just going to come down to what type of return Treliving is willing to offers Jets' GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, and if Winnipeg is still going to be active on the free-agent market, with their remaining $19 million in cap space.
At $4 million for just two more years, it wouldn't be a massive gamble for Treliving to add Niederreiter's contract to the books.
He doesn't have any trade protection, which makes things easier, it's just going to come down to what type of return Treliving is willing to offers Jets' GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, and if Winnipeg is still going to be active on the free-agent market, with their remaining $19 million in cap space.
Why Toronto Should Target Nino Niederreiter
With Winnipeg targeting potential cheaper names like Jack Roslovic and Victor Olofsson, they may decide to cut ties with Niederreiter.
However, a question of what the Leafs would send is an obvious one, they can send one of their more polarizing figures to Manitoba:
With Nik Ehlers off to Carolina, the Jets would need a return of some help on the wing if Niederreiter was moved, so perhaps Nick Robertson or Bobby McMann would be of interest. Niederreiter scored 17 goals last season, in a down year, and has the potential to bounce back in 2025-26.
If 17 goals is a down year, that's already an improvement over Robertson, and while McMann has the potential to hit 20+ goals a season, he's only proven he can do it once, and needs to continue to break barriers this year.
Niederreiter, 32, had 37 points in 82 games (17 goals, 20 assists) but has seven 20+ goal seasons under his belt, is a solid playmaker, plays great defense and will give you a lot of hits (152 last season).
At only $4-million over the next two years, he's a very cheap and reliable option over someone like Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf; heck he could even supplant Max Domi if the team wanted to move on.
The Jets might be willing to give him a chance to bounce back himself, but with a chance to open up more cap space and potentially bring in a future top-six forward in his early 20's, Niederreiter could very well find himself in blue and white this year.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 31 | 1019 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Could Flip Young Talent for $12M Forward in Bold Trade Idea Would you trade for Nino Niederreiter? | ||
| Yes | 496 | 48.7 % |
| No | 523 | 51.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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