Maple Leafs Missed Prime Chance to Land Key Pieces in Avalanche-Blue Jackets Trade
Photo credit: Hockey Patrol
The Toronto Maple Leafs missed out on not only adding Charlie Coyle, but seemingly Miles Wood this summer after a new report from Elliotte Friedman.
While Brad Treliving still figures out which direction he wants to go regarding adding some top-six help for the Maple Leafs this summer, the focus of improving the bottom-six was also something that needed to be a bit of a priority.
They've done well for themselves so far, adding names like Michael Pezzetta, and bringing in Nicolas Roy in the Mitch Marner trade in order to shore up their 3C issues.
Toronto misses out on adding both Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood for their bottom-six
It hasn't been the flashiest offseason, and while there were certainly parts that could have helped the team, it seems they struck out on quite a few solid names, and per a new report; could have killed two birds with one stone.
According to Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast, the Avalanche were shopping around Charlie Coyle, and if teams were looking to bring him in, they needed to also make sure Miles Wood had a spot too:
It sounded like if you wanted to get Coyle, you had to take Wood. Wood needed a fresh start, it wasn't working out, and Colorado tied those two together.
Coyle and Wood were acquired by the Columbus Blue Jackets for a package that included Gavin Brindley, as well as a 2nd and 3rd-round pick, giving the Blue Jackets two solid veterans for their forward group, and who will help mentor younger stars like Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko.
Toronto would have a much easier time this summer with Coyle and Wood
Well, it's tough luck for the Leafs then as both Coyle and Wood could have added some serious depth and experience to a team needing a fresh injection of both.
Coyle was Auston Matthews' nemesis for years and is an exceptional defensive forward with some serious offensive chops, meanwhile Wood is a physical force who loves to hit, can score, and is the perfect Craig Berube type.
Plus, if Toronto still added Roy through the Marner trade, it makes getting rid of David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok so much easier, and would have given the Leafs a much deeper lineup:
Knies - Matthews - Domi
Maccelli - Tavares - Nylander
McMann - Roy - Wood
Laughton - Coyle - Lorentz
Maccelli - Tavares - Nylander
McMann - Roy - Wood
Laughton - Coyle - Lorentz
All four lines would have had scoring potential, the third and fourth lines are hyper energetic and physical with McMann and Wood; with Roy helping defensively.
Then your fourth line is full of grit, defense and annoying opponents to no end; the perfect bottom line trio.
But all is for naught, as Coyle and Wood find themselves firmly in the depth chart for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Toronto hasn't done too bad this offseason, but knowing what they missed out on certainly hurts, and could be a bit of a blemish on Brad Treliving's offseason.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 11 | 3284 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Missed Prime Chance to Land Key Pieces in Avalanche-Blue Jackets Trade Do you think the Maple Leafs needed to pursue Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood? | ||
| Yes | 1359 | 41.4 % |
| No | 1925 | 58.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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