Maple Leafs' Strength in Numbers Could Finally Fix Their Biggest Weakness
Photo credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
With the Toronto Maple Leafs stocked up defensively, they might be able to ship one off for some much needed forward help according to analyst Ryan Ma.
Adding to their top-six is the utmost priority for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but doing so is no easy task. First, they need to find a target who is available, but once they find that, they need to make sure whatever they offer is suitable enough, but also not too much of an overpayment.
They lack a true asset to really trade away, and some of their veteran contracts are reasonable, but don't really spark a ton of excitement when it comes to trade potential.
There are certainly avenues the team can take, and perhaps they are able to sway a buyer with what they've got, but that's easier said than done.
Toronto's surplus of defenders a surprise benefit
However, they do have a surplus of defenders they can dangle in a trade, and if they play their cards right they can add that top-six piece.
According to Ryan Ma, junior scout and analyst, the Maple Leafs could look to deal one of their defenders in order to bring in what they need, and mentions Brandon Carlo, Simon Benoit and Oliver Ekman-Larsson as potential casualties:
The defencemen who I could actually see being moved, and who could still fetch a nice return, are Brandon Carlo and Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Carlo has the next two seasons at just under $3.5M thanks to retention from the Boston Bruins, and OEL has three more years at $3.5M.
Both Carlo and OEL are bona fide second-pair defencemen who are underpaid right now. At the time of the OEL deal, it looked a bit much, but after this summer, I'm firmly placing him in the «underpaid» category.
Carlo is the more enticing asset. He's younger and plays a much more vanilla role. That's not a bad thing, quite the opposite, actually, as he would fit on just about every team.
Who doesn't want a tall, defensive specialist second-pair defenceman? And for under $3.5M, his contract is extremely valuable.
Hell, even Simon Benoit could be seen as a steal. His regular season was awful last season, but he showed up in the playoffs and could be exactly what another contender needs.
Carlo has the next two seasons at just under $3.5M thanks to retention from the Boston Bruins, and OEL has three more years at $3.5M.
Both Carlo and OEL are bona fide second-pair defencemen who are underpaid right now. At the time of the OEL deal, it looked a bit much, but after this summer, I'm firmly placing him in the «underpaid» category.
Carlo is the more enticing asset. He's younger and plays a much more vanilla role. That's not a bad thing, quite the opposite, actually, as he would fit on just about every team.
Who doesn't want a tall, defensive specialist second-pair defenceman? And for under $3.5M, his contract is extremely valuable.
Hell, even Simon Benoit could be seen as a steal. His regular season was awful last season, but he showed up in the playoffs and could be exactly what another contender needs.
While we've heard that Toronto was thinking of trading Carlo, it looks they would rather keep him. So considering that, would Toronto trade either Ekman-Larsson or Benoit?
Toronto is already set defensively, so go all-in offensively
Well, considering they need top-six help it feels like just about any option is on the table, but if a contending team, or a team on the cusp needs help on the back end, Toronto can help.
For example, the Seattle Kraken. A team that struggled last season and could use a secondary playmaker from the back with veteran experience. They have Brandon Montour and Vince Dunn, but otherwise they have a more staunch defensive team.
Which means both Ekman-Larsson and Benoit fit their plans. If Seattle wanted to go after more offensive on the blueline, adding OEL and his 33 points would be a pretty solid add for cheap, plus he has that name value attached.
If the team decides Dunn and Montour are enough to create offense from the back end, then perhaps they look at someone like Benoit; who might not be the strongest offensively or defensively but plays his heart out and came alive as a physical, shutdown defender.
If Toronto were able to bring in someone from the Kraken like Jared McCann, or Jaden Schwartz (a former Craig Berube player), that would instantly improve their top-six without resorting to trading a name like Easton Cowan or Ben Danford.
So it's still a tough task for Brad Treliving to bring in a top-six force, but if he reaches into his surplus of blueliners, is sure to find one appealing enough to get a deal done.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 11 | 4301 ANSWERS Maple Leafs' Strength in Numbers Could Finally Fix Their Biggest Weakness Which defenseman should the Maple Leafs trade away? | ||
| Morgan Rielly | 3094 | 71.9 % |
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson | 520 | 12.1 % |
| Simon Benoit | 228 | 5.3 % |
| Brandon Carlo | 459 | 10.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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